


This Action - Life is Strange Season 2 Episode 2

by AjaxKnight



Series: Life is Strange Season 2 [2]
Category: Life Is Strange (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, F/F, Fluff, Love, Mental Health Issues, Sad, Season 2, Unofficial Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-19
Updated: 2016-05-19
Packaged: 2018-06-09 11:33:02
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 29,108
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6904192
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AjaxKnight/pseuds/AjaxKnight
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After saving Chloe and Arcadia Bay, Max thinks that the hardest part of her life is over. She would have continued to think just that, if time itself had not shown her just how wrong she was. Now, Max must find out just what has happened to the timeline she has been living in for the past 6 months, and discover why time itself is breaking apart around her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Authors Notes:
> 
> Whoa there. This is the second part of a series. If you haven't read the first part, this won't make quite as much sense. Actually, it'll probably be really confusing. So I highly suggest you click on my name and check out part 1. Even if you have read it, I suggest you read the last chapter of part 1 again, as it is a journal entry/summary. It'll help you keep up to speed on what's happened before hand without having to read everything all over again. If you're all ready to go however, then enjoy!

 

It was a combination of both steam and water that was working it's way around Max Caufield's body that was causing her to fully awaken from her early morning haze. The water felt better today than it had in a long time, it was almost as if she could feel every single drop hit her body and loosen her muscles. Like a tiny massage with each droplet. It was both invigorating and relaxing.

Usually, the halls were filled with students when she decided to shower, but not this morning. This morning, Max had decided to get up extra early and enjoy her shower. To truly experience what it must have felt like to enjoy the simplicity of water cascading down on her body, the temperature dancing on her skin as it washed away all of her troubles.

For the entirety of this year, showers were just a thing to Max. In fact, most things this year were just things to Max. Eating, bathing, movies, reading; all of it, just things that she was forced to do to pass the time. It was as if she could no longer find joy in anything she was doing, like someone had drained everything of the small light it once had inside of it that caused Max to glow. But now, as the water washed over every inch of her body, everything was different. Everything was soaring with colors again, as if the saturation in them had been enhanced. Smells had returned to her, food tasted again, television was actually enjoyable once more, as were her showers. It was almost as if the water itself were cleansing her. The droplets cascaded down and removed the aching that she had felt every single day, it cleared the haze that hung in front of her face, it removed the tired feeling that lingered in the back of Max's brain everyday. The gray film that seemed to once cling to her being was now being removed, making the world feel happier once again.

If today was even three days prior to today, then this activity would have been one of the least favorite things about her day. Having to stand in a small box while scrubbing away the smells her body naturally produced. Then having to spend all this time and effort drying off, brushing her hair, and redressing...it was torture to go through. If today had been last month, this would once again be the worst part of her day. But not today, not today.

Today, today was special. Ever since October, there had been one thought ever present on the young photographers mind. Right now, as she showered – as far as she knew – that thing was lying in her bed right now. Still asleep with her mouth hanging slightly open as she snored the smallest, cutest little snore. Her electric blue hair was still draped around her face as if it were placed there as a frame to better accentuate just how beautiful she was. Right now, Chloe Elizabeth Price was asleep in her room; alive, safe, and much to Max's surprise, very much in love with her.

_'Wowsers. It's insane to think just how fast everything can change. Chloe and I just...we just became girlfriends. It was like the two of us were supposed to be girlfriends or something. Not that I'm complaining one bit.'_

Turning the water off, trying to give other students at least _some_ hot water to wake up to, Max Caufield grabbed her towel and began to dry herself off in the small confines of the stall.

_'Ugh. Even though I'm super tiny, this place has always been too small for me to dry off and get changed in. Someone should really look into making these things just a little bit bigger somehow. Say...maybe big enough for a small, awkward photographer and her tall, punk girlfriend. Yeah. Perfect.'_

Max dressed herself into her 'Jane Doe' t-shirt and made her way out of the shower, grabbing her toiletries in one hand, and her old clothes shoved under her other arm. As Max came out, she took a few steps over to the mirrors on the parallel wall from the showers and pulled out her hair brush from the plastic tote in her hand.

_'I have to look at least semi decent now. These are the things that no one ever tells you about having a girlfriend. You always have to try to look cute for them.'_

Max raised her hand to wipe away the small layer of condensation off the mirror to better see herself in, when a more fun idea pinged in her brain. She smiled to herself as she instead extended her index finger and placed it on the warm glass. The small squeak of her finger pressing away the thin layer of water droplets was like music to her ears as she doodled her masterpiece of bathroom art.

A small crown was drawn, leaning to the right on the right side of the mirror with the words 'The Queen of Blackwell' written at the bottom. Max positioned her slightly foggy reflection until the crown sat on the top of her head as she giggled to herself.

_'Ruler of All Space and Time of Arcadia Bay would be much more accurate, but also would make no sense to anyone else. So I'll just live with being Queen...for now.'_

After walking over to the next mirror – as to not ruin the now hanging masterpiece on the first mirror – Max wiped away the droplets and brushed her hair before collecting the rest of her things and walking out into the hallway.

The once dead silent hallway was now beginning to slightly awaken, with the light sounds of chatter mixing through the air. Taking that as her cue, Max hurriedly walked back toward her room in the hopes that she would not have to be a social butterfly this morning, an awkward one at that.

Sliding her way past the groggy other students, Max began to hear the sounds of quite loud music blaring as she approached her room.

_'Mission Take A Shower and Come Back Before Chloe Can Get Up is a failure.'_

Her eyes rolled as she reached out and grabbed the doorknob, turning it quickly and sliding herself in before the music styling of...whoever...could piss off anyone in her hallway.

For a brief moment, Max thought to scold Chloe as soon as she walked into the room, telling her that other people exist and may be trying to sleep still, that she still had to deal with her dorm-mates even if Chloe didn't. But that was before she saw what Chloe was doing.

Her back was to the door in the middle of the room, air guitar-ing as hard as she could. Blue strands of hair bounced as the taller girl bobbed her head up and down to the beat of the song, she was leaning forward slightly, her back barely hunched over, and moving her arms up and down as if she were thrashing her 'guitar' around.

_'How does she manage to look totally bad ass, and yet completely adorable all at once? Only Chloe.'_

Max smiled to herself as she admired the bluenette rocking out in front of her for a few moments before she got an idea.

_'I could totally get an amazing shot right now.'_

After bringing Chloe back into her room two days ago, Max had not taken a single step outside of the room except to shower. So – thankfully for her – her messenger bag with her camera in it was still lying right next to the door where Max had left it. With ninja stealth, she knelt down on one knee and gently opened the bag. Her hands worked quickly and silently, trying not to disturb nor alert the punk girl rocking out in her bedroom. As she dug around delicately, the lyrics of the song on her Hi-Fi system finally seeped their way into her ears.

_That doesn't matter anyway,_

_Cause I've got a brand new friend, okay?_

_Me and her, we'll kick your ass!_

_We'll wait with knives after class!_

_'Wow...I wonder who Chloe thought about when she would listen to this...probably me...I guess that wound would still be a little fresh, it has only been a week for her.'_

Those thoughts would have to wait, as Chloe was now standing in the perfect pose, like the natural model she was. One arm was bent, perfectly as if she were holding the neck of a guitar, locked in place; the other was raised above her head as if she were playing to a gigantic crowd and trying to show off as the chord of the music rung through the amps. The morning light was glowing down perfectly in front of her, beaming through her windows and bathing everything in a golden splendor. Chloe was standing perfectly in the center of her room, causing the beams of golden sun to cascade off her limbs and figure, creating a slight shadow around her, yet still letting the bright blue colors of her hair come through the lens. Acting quickly, Max stood up and framed the Chloe directly in the center, with her head just entering the top third, her left arm in the first third, and her right fist in the top right corner, before pressing the shutter button. The all too familiar flash quickly enveloped the room, followed by the slight hum and ejection of newly processed film.

Chloe quickly darted around and stared Max directly in the face with a gigantic grin, as if she weren't the least bit surprised to see her, but more along the lines of thrilled she was here.

"We don't like Becky anymore!" Chloe chanted loudly along with the song before flashing Max her devil horns and leaping up on her bed. Her body began to dance with a kind of elegance, as if she were an embodiment of the music."We don't like Becky anymore! We don't like Becky anymore!" As soon as the song finished it's chant, Chloe jumped up into the air and strummed her air guitar before landing on her knees and throwing her head back, letting her hair fall down behind her as she raised her invisible instrument into the air.

_'She is the nerdiest thing. But she's_ my _nerd.'_

Max walked over to her Hi-Fi system and turned the volume down to a human level before turning around and smiling at her girlfriend.

"How did that look Max?" Chloe said smiling at her Max, still on her knees.

"Better question, how do your knees feel?" she replied with a smirk.

"They hurt like a biznitch, but it was worth it to look cool for my girlfriend."

Giggling to herself, Max replied "don't you mean a small _Price_ to pay?"

Rolling her eyes and standing slowly, Chloe laughed. "You just couldn't resist, could you?"

"No" the photographer replied as she closed the distance between the two of them and placed a light kiss on her girlfriends lips. "Just like I couldn't resist that."

"Max, I swear. You are the most adorkable thing I have ever seen." Chloe was now running her hand up and down Max's exposed skin on her arm, just trying to feel Max, reassuring herself that this was all real. "But, I suppose I love you anyway."

"You _suppose?!_ " As hard as she tried, Max couldn't hide the smile on her face as she swatted Chloe in the arm. "Well, then _I_ suppose that you won't be getting anymore kisses for the rest of time."

"Oh come on Max, you know I didn't mean it."

"Never again."

"Max."

"Nope."

"Max!"

"No."

" _Baby."_ Chloe said, giving her the biggest puppy dog eyes she could muster and making her voice as pathetically sad as she could.

"Oh my dog. Fine." Max said with a smile and an eye roll as she kissed her pouting girlfriend tenderly. "You better be thankful you're so cute."

"I always am, Maxi-pad!" Chloe said as she walked over to her jeans lying on the floor before effortlessly slipping them on.

Watching Chloe for a moment, Max sat down on her couch and crossed her legs. "Why are you getting dressed? I'm the only one that's gonna be in here. Don't need pants for an all day movie marathon!"

"Nope. Not today Maxironi. You gotta get to class today."

"But Chloe-" Max began with pleading in her voice.

"Max" Chloe spoke matter of fact-ly, "I would love to turn you into a little rebel that totally ditches school and smokes weed and shit, but you have to go. You didn't get this scholarship to waste it away with me."

"No." Max spoke as she stood back up. Her feet were planted firmly on the ground, trying to help make her point. "I just want to spend the day with you. Just one more day."

Chloe smiled at this as she walked over to her girlfriend and kissed her forehead. "Look, I have things I have to do today."

"Like what?"

"Like shower. Before long now and not even you will want to be around me. I smell when I go without showers dude. Like rank."

"Well why not shower here? Just wait until everyone here is in class and it's all yours. Just please don't make me go."

"Max...I can't be clean and wear these old smelly clothes. Besides...I...I need to see whats happened in my life. I don't know what's going on in this..." Chloe raised her hands and glanced around the room, as if she were searching around a physical space for the correct word, "...timeline. This time travel shit is all new to me. I have to go home and see what my life is...because as far as I know, before two days ago, I was fucking dead." The smile on her face had long since faded as Chloe thought about her own death. Thinking back to what was only a few days ago for her as she begged her best friend to let her die. She assumed that she would simply stop living, that everything would fade from her as soon as Max left, that she wouldn't even know that anything had happened. That she would just cease to be.

The words were slowly filling her brain as Max examined Chloe's face. She had never experienced anything quite like this before either.

_'I have no idea what happened either...I can't even imagine what this must feel like for Chloe...'_

"Chloe..." the words themselves were barely above a whisper "I can't just...go to class and leave you to go through this all by yourself." Fingers slid around each other as Max held Chloe's hand and looked her deep in the eyes. "We're in this together now. Forever. I'm going with you. You're much more important to me than any class will ever be."

Tears had already begun to slightly fill the tall punk's eyes as she gazed down. "Okay, Max. I guess you meant it when you said you were my partner in crime."

"And time" Max finished with a smile before she let Chloe's hand drop. "So, what's the plan then?"

Taking her beanie out of her back pocket and sliding it on her head, Chloe shrugged. "Dunno. I guess go back to my place, shower, change, and then see if we can't find any clues as to whats happened in the time that neither of us can remember. Maybe even go see Joyce for lunch?"

"Joyce...?" Max said, swallowing and grabbing her elbow subconsciously. "I haven't really seen her in months."

"You just ignored my mom?"

"No...she...every time she saw me she would think of you and..." Max looked down at the ground and tried to push the memories out of her head. Memories that now didn't exist.

"Hey hey" Chloe spoke softly as she lifted Max's chin. "No crying okay? I'm here now, and I promise you, I'm never going anywhere again."

Max simply sniffled and smiled at her girlfriend. "Okay. I guess it would be a good idea to see her again. Now I can finally kill that craving I've been having."

"That's my girl!" Chloe said as she kissed Max's cheek.

"Give me a minute to get dressed and we can go to your house." Max said with a huge smile on her face. "I guess you could use a shower."

"I'll pretend that you didn't say that, brat. Now get your bony ass dressed. I'm gonna go read through your social media shit and see if I've missed anything hella rad."

_'I can promise you Chloe, without you, there's nothing hella rad.'_

Max looked over at Chloe as she sat in the chair in front of Max's laptop and moved the mouse around. She wasn't doing anything but simply existing, and right now, that was more than enough to make Max smile.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Hey, just a fair warning here. This chapter contains some pretty heavy stuff. Some of you may not find some of the things talked about in this chapter easy to read. Please, if this chapter makes you feel too emotional and you feel like you need someone to talk to, do not even hesitate to send me a message. Even if it's angry.
> 
> I chose not to include a warning, simply because I didn't want to spoil what was to come really. I want it to be a surprise and have some weight to it, but if you see it as a tag or whatever, you'll expect it. I know it's a little shady, but i hope you can overlook it and forgive. I do it out of love for the story!

 

"What the hell was that anyway?" Max spoke as the door slid shut behind her before placing her keys inside the lock and locking it.

"What, the music? Dude. You seriously need to step up on your punk game. Especially since you're dating one." Chloe smiled back at her girlfriend. "That was Becky by Be Your Own Pet. They were so bad ass."

"Were?"

"Yeah...they broke up after like two albums like 4 years ago or something. Too bad too."

Max smirked at the taller bluenette. "So...I'm bad at my punk game because I've never heard of some band that barely made music, then broke up?"

"Um, duh. They were hella fucking bad ass and you should be trying to find out everything possible about your girlfriend's likes and dislikes Maximus."

"Chloe" Max spoke plainly, "we've been girlfriends for like, two days?"

Smiling as she walked down the hallway, Chloe turned around and motioned to Max. "Come on, Max. I know you love watching me walk away, but you gotta try to keep up."

_'...How do you even know?'_

Max smiled to herself as she followed behind her tall, punk girlfriend and tried desperately not to glance down at her butt as she walked in front of her. The hallways were now almost silent once again, after spending half an hour in Max's dorm dressing and browsing through social media. Chloe was determined to catch up on every single thing she possibly could absorb, thinking that maybe it would give her some kind of idea on what exactly had happened, only to get almost annoyed at how boring a typical high school girl's news feed was.

The two girls walked not far from each other with a determination in their steps. Today was going to be the day that Chloe was going to find out everything possible about her life, since she had technically been dead, leaving even Max confused. Max had gone through entering a different timeline before and not understanding what exactly was happening, but this was different.

_'When I saved William, I knew that he would be okay and alive, but I didn't rip him out of his timeline and into mine...I wonder if that-'_

Max was instantly ripped out of her train of thought when she heard a quiet sob emanating from the showers to her left.

Eyes instantly found each others as Chloe spun around on her heel as the air around them instantly felt heavy.

"Max..." Chloe whispered as she closed the distance between them quickly.

"I know." Max whispered back. "I have no idea..."

"I don't know either. Dude, I think we should go in there."

Her eyes broke contact as she looked once again toward the sound of the sobs. "I don't know..." Max spoke as she bit the inside of her lip.

_'The last time I interrupted something like this, Chloe was about to get shot. I don't want someone to get hurt, but I don't want to put Chloe back in danger...what do I do?'_

"Come on Max, I'll be right behind you." Fingers quickly wrapped around Max's wrist as the two girls walked their way quickly to the girls showers, before slowly opening the door.

As soon as the wooden door opened, the soft sounds of someone sobbing amplified largely. The sound reverberated around and bounced off the walls. Somehow, the sounds of crying being amplified back at you made them sound even more heartbreaking. As if they were gaining sorrow with each echo off of a solid surface.

Max and Chloe stood motionless in the doorway, letting the door shut behind them. It was now that the door was shut that they could clearly hear the extent of the crying in the room. In the far corner of the last stall seemed to be the sounds of someone sniffling and extremely shallow breaths. The thought of saying something to let the person in despair know that someone was in here momentarily made it's way through Max's head, before she was once again ripped out of her thoughts. This time by Chloe yanking her arm and walking toward the sound at the end of the room.

With each step, the sounds of sobbing seemed to grow more and more intense, as every single wimper suddenly became more and more audible. Despair was beginning to work itself into Max's brain, threatening to bring her right back into the stupor that she had just recovered from, when she felt Chloe's thumb gently stroking her wrist as they walked; instantly washing away all the fear and sadness from within her.

Their footsteps must have been quiet enough to not alert the person, as even as they stood right outside of the curtain, the sounds of crying never seemed to cease, nor did they quiet one bit. Reaching her hand out slowly and gripping the plastic curtain with absolution, Chloe slowly moved her arm to reveal the stall.

"Hey! Someone is in here!" A voice said as the curtain opened. Her voice sounded forced, as if she was trying so hard to keep it from breaking.

"I know." Chloe said softly as she finally pushed the curtain open fully. It was Alyssa Anderson.

"Please...please leave me alone..." her makeup was smeared down her face, as her wet hair clung to her. She looked as if she had been in here for hours.

"Alyssa..." Max spoke softly as she moved past her girlfriend and got down on both knees next to her friend. "What's wrong? Come on...you can talk to me."

"No. No I can't. You wouldn't understand." She spoke through sniffles, refusing to make eye contact.

"Please! Look, I'm your friend, I promise. I know that I'm not your best friend, but I promise that I care about what happens to you. Please, Alyssa, talk to me."

She looked so broken as she pulled her knees closer to her chest. So helpless in the world, as if something crushing had been a plague on her and was just now showing itself. Manifesting after an eternity of hurting.

Silence befell the room momentarily as none of the three girls said anything. Chloe was thinking too hard on what exactly to say, Max was trying to give Alyssa time to feel comfortable talking, and Alyssa herself was trying to hide her secret as hard as she could.

"I just want to help..." Max said softly as she reached out and placed her hand on the top of Alyssa's knee, which she instantly jerked away from her touch. Max felt her heart sink in her chest for a brief second before she heard the slight metallic ping as a razor blade gently slid across the bottom of the shower toward Max, the sharpened edge freshly stained with blood.

The air felt still. Almost deathly quiet. It was a state of shock that pulsated through all three of them. None of them dared to move for seconds, which ticked away agonizingly slowly. Max finally broke the stillness of the room and looked up toward the girl now filled to the brink with tears, with tears of her own beginning to form in the corners of her eyes. "Alyssa..." Max whispered, barely even audible, her voice finding it hard to press through the complex emotions spiraling throughout her.

Hugging her shins as tightly as she could, Alyssa buried her eyes into her knees and let out a few small sobs. The situation seemed to be escalating into a territory that Max had no idea how to fix. No idea what to say in. No clue where to even begin.

"Hey." Chloe said as she placed her hand gently on Max's back and slid down to her knees just slightly behind her, effectively lifting the weight off of Max's shoulders. "Alyssa right? Look, I'm sure you don't know me, because I don't honestly know you, but listen to me okay?" The words fell out of the punk girl's mouth with such care behind them, a certain softness to them that Max had rarely ever heard Chloe speak. It was as if she were speaking from a place that was completely naked and venerable inside of her. A voice that Max had only ever hear Chloe utter in times like when she told Max that no one would ever be good enough for her, except Chloe herself.

After pausing for a brief moment to allow Alyssa to comply to her request, Chloe continued; "I know that the world feels super fucking shitty right now. I know what it's like to be in such a horrible place where its so dark there doesn't seem to be a light. To like, drown in a pool of yourself that you don't feel like you could ever get out of. That the more you struggle..." the tears were beginning to form in Chloe's eyes and roll freely down her cheeks. "That the more you struggle, the more you sink. I know what it feels like to have the mindset that 'Life is like a movie, if you get part of the way into it and you hate it, you should be allowed to just leave.' But that is complete bullshit." Chloe wiped her eyes and sniffled before she continued. "It's bullshit because one day, you'll find that light." Instantly, her demeanor changed as her body seemed to loosen. "One day, something will happen to you that will rip you right out of that. It will feel like, fucking instant. You'll suddenly start to feel all these things you've never felt, things that you had forgotten how to feel." Smiling gently to herself, Chloe reaches out her hand and interlaces her fingers with Max's. "I promise you. Things will get better. I promise. You just have to fight all this bullshit until it does."

Pride was surging through the small brunette's body and she squeezed her girlfriend's hand.

_'She's talking about me._ I _am her light._ Me. _'_

"I just..." Alyssa began as she lowered her legs from her body slowly. "Every day is so full of bullshit. Everything that could possibly ever go wrong to me, does. I get toilet paper and footballs thrown at me, fucking knocked into a pool by people that call me an 'Epic Fail', people spray paint things about me on walls saying 'You're hard to want'."

_'I...I didn't save her from any of that in this timeline...all of that happened because I don't have my powers...'_

"I'm not trying to kill myself..." Alyssa spoke softly as she sniffled and finally lowered her legs all the way down to stretch them out in front of her, which made Max and Chloe instantly see why she was hiding them so harshly. There were what looked like a hundred scars of different sizes on the young girls thighs, some of them scabbed, some of them just a feint memory, and some of them completely fresh. "I just...I sometimes have to feel in control. I feel so fucking powerless. I act like I'm tough as shit, but I can't help feeling so useless and hurt all the time...so ugly..."

"Alyssa, no." Max spoke as she once again placed her hand delicately on Alyssa's knee. "You are not any of those things. You're so fucking talented, and you're really smart. You're well read and can quote poetry. You have the second coolest hair of any person here!" Max said in a lighter tone with a smile, effectively lightening the mood. "And you're seriously pretty. People in high school are just insecure fucking assholes, and none of them know how bad they hurt others. But I promise you, there's a lot of people here that love you and don't want you hurt."

Scoffing slightly, Alyssa wiped her eyes and picked up the razor, examining it as she spoke. "I feel like none of the guys here even see me. Like they just see a punching bag. I just feel so horrible all the time, and the rush of bleeding helps me feel...something."

"Dude, there's a reason that guy's don't see you here. They're all a bunch of fucking tools that think only with their dick's." Chloe said with her usual punk attitude. "Trust me there, most all of the guy's at this school don't notice you because you threaten them with the fact that you have a brain. They're intimidated by you because you're better than them! Once you get out of this town and move on to a bigger and better place, you'll have guys lined the fuck up to just talk to someone smart and shit that has cool fucking hair."

For the first time since the two of them had walked into the showers, they saw Alyssa smile ever so slightly. "I guess...but...that doesn't stop how I feel inside."

"I know dude. But that's why you have to find a way to get help." Chloe said with a pep in her voice, trying to get a fire started under the girl with purple tips in her hair.

"But...isn't therapy for people that are broken and useless?"

"Fuck no! There is nothing wrong about getting help. Nothing. Hey, I had to get help at one point. Just to stop me from doing the same shit you are." Chloe moved in closer and spoke quickly, trying to not let those words sink in too hard to anyone in the room. "If you want man, I'll...I'll help you. I'll fight through this shit with you."

"You would do that for me, Chloe?"

Chuckling slightly, Chloe nodded her head. "I will. Also, sorry that I don't remember you. To be fair though, I don't remember anyone but the assholes. So that's not really a bad thing."

Alyssa smiled. "Thank you guys...so much. I...I really really needed this."

"That's what friend's are for." Max smiled back as she stood up in the stall and pulled Chloe up with her. "Are you going to be okay here?"

"Yeah. I just need to...clean up."

"The road ahead is hard, but the road less traveled makes all the difference." Max said as she rubbed Chloe's hand with her thumb gently.

"That's my favorite poem." Alyssa said with a smile before Max pulled Chloe out of the showers and back into the hallway with a slight pep in her step.

Arms wrapped around Chloe's neck the instant that the two of them hit the hallway. "I am so fucking proud of you." Max said as she smiled sadly at her girlfriend. "What you said back there...I had no idea..."

"Max, look. Don't blame yourself. It was a lot of shit, not just you...I...I used to feel so cursed. Like I would never be happy. But I didn't ever want to..."

"But then..." Max said, cutting Chloe off with tears of joy brimming in her eyes. "You said something came along and gave you a light."

A flush instantly worked it's way across Chloe's cheeks. "Yeah...you."

The kiss they shared this time was the most slow, passionate kiss that Chloe had ever felt in her life. It was filled with so many complex emotions, so much feeling. Pulling away slowly, Chloe looked at Max and smiled a soft, compassionate smile. "I love you, Max. So much."

"I love you too, Chloe."

Hands never once parted as the two girls made their way down the stairs of Max's dorm and out to the courtyard. There was this energy between the two girls that neither of them could break. It was magic, and neither of them felt like they had to say anything. Max could swear that her heart was beating in unison with Chloe's for a moment. Like the two of them had become one. Gazing over to her girlfriend as she walked, Max began to admire the gorgeous smile that was plastered on her face. Her mind began to wander over to what thoughts must be swimming in that beautiful head of hers when suddenly, an extremely loud noise tore through the air. It was a noise that Max knew all too well due to her experiences with them as she tried to help Chloe solve Rachel Amber's disappearance. It was a gunshot.

Her eyes quickly shooting wide as she became hyper aware of her surroundings, Max and Chloe ran toward the front of the school toward the sound of the gunshot, when their feet planted suddenly as they rounded the corner of the boy's dorms.

Neither of them could believe the sight they were seeing. The sight of David Mansden, standing at the gate to the dormitories, a smoking gun in his hand, and Nathan Prescott lying on the ground with blood pouring out of his chest.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note:
> 
> Hey yo, welcome to chapter 2.
> 
> Let's talk about the thing I really want to talk about first. Self-Harm is a very serious issue, take it from someone who used to do it themselves. You are not alone. You are not weak, or stupid, or ugly, or unwanted. The simple fact of it is, you are unique. You are a beautiful, bright star in a sea of other bright and beautiful stars, sure, but without you, the constellations cannot form as easily. Without you, there's less beauty to behold. Without you, the world loses something that it didn't have before. You're worth something to someone, even if it doesn't seem like it. People just really suck at communicating their feelings. So stick in there and know that if you do decide to get help, you are not weak. Getting help is one of the bravest things you can do. If you ever need anyone to talk to, please don't hesitate to send me a message, even right now.
> 
> Okay, so, anyway. I hope you all enjoyed this little chapter. I know it wasn't horribly eventful, but I wanted to give Alyssa more character and show a more human side of Chloe, setting up a plot thread for a later chapter. Next chapter will be much more eventful, and will begin to start the unraveling of the threads to the entire season. So thanks again for reading. I'll see you next time! Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Channel!
> 
> Until next time, stay golden.


	3. Chapter 3

The gentle hum of the motor was the only sound occupying the cab of Chloe's truck. Thoughts were hanging in the air, almost making the atmosphere in the truck feel heavier. Neither of the two had said anything to each other since they had climbed inside and began driving back to Chloe's house. It wasn't like there wasn't anything to say, but neither of them wanted to be the one that had to open that conversation, afraid of what the other may say in retort to what they were thinking.

Max rested her head against the glass of the truck and watched the buildings outside of the car blur by. The cold glass was doing a good job at somehow soothing her thoughts into a dull roar inside of her skull. For a very brief second, Max almost felt peace.

Knuckles were white as Chloe gripped her steering wheel tightly and stared at the road. He mind was moving so fast and frantically that sometimes, she felt as if it weren't thinking at all. As if the clashing of thoughts together created a vacuum, that sound was somehow unable to exist in.

Silence had followed them all the way back to Chloe's house as the punk turned into her driveway and quickly killed the engine, leaving the a quiet that was even more intolerable than before. Somehow the natural sound of a humming motor and tires rolling against asphalt was a slightly comforting sound. Now that it was gone, the void seemed to feel suffocating.

"Max..." Chloe finally said, breaking the long hanging silence between the two of them. "Talk to me...please..."

"I...I just killed everyone..." Max whispered as she stared at her right hand in disbelief. "I had gone so, so long without once rewinding...but now...now everyone is going to die again because of me..."

"No way, fuck that." Chloe had already unbuckled herself from her seat and slid across to where Max was sitting. "You didn't kill anyone. You saved someone Max. You saved David from possibly going to jail...even if that little fucker Prescott deserved much more than just one bullet."

"Chloe!" Max cried out as she wrapped her hands around the taller bluenette's neck, burying her face into Chloe's shoulder. "My powers caused that storm...and now I used them again...that storm is going to come back! There are always consequences to everything I do..."

Placing her hands on the smaller girl's shoulders, Chloe pushed Max away from her and gazed into her eyes sternly."Listen to me, Max. There's no fucking way that the storm is coming back. But if it does, we can deal with it when it happens. I promise you that I won't let anything happen to you ever again. It will not come down to sacrificing anyone, ever again. Let's not look so far into the maybe. Let's focus on right now okay? Like right now..." Chloe smiled as she softened her expression, "right now, you have a totally hot chick with blue hair sitting next to you who is hella in love with you and wants to kiss you right now." Letting Max smile for a second, Chloe grabbed Max's chin with her finger and pulled her face in for a soft kiss. Pulling away, Chloe gazed once again back into her girlfriend's eyes and saw the way they had softened, causing her to smile.

"That's better Caufield. Now come on inside, we got some bidness to take care of." Chloe raised up her arm and took Max's hand into her own. She then raised her hand up to meet Max's eyes, and slowly wrapped each finger around the brunette's, making it a point to hold her hand. Blushing with an intensity, Max soon followed."By the way, you're hella cute." She then smiled and kissed the back of her girlfriend's hand, causing Max to smile and blush even harder. "Especially when you smile."

_'Oh my god...Chloe is so goddamn perfect.'_

Chloe slid her keys into the door and dramatically pushed it open. "Please, enter the house of Price!" Chloe said, bowing and trying her best not to crack up at herself.

Max couldn't help but to let out a small giggle. "Why thank you. That will do!"

"Okay Mad Max." Wasting no time, Chloe had already began to make her way up the stairs directly to the right of the door. "So I'm gonna go grab a shower and try not to smell like a wet dog anymore."

"But what about David?" Max said as she looked up at Chloe with concern in her eyes.

"Um...He can shower if he feels like it?"

"No, like why did he freak out on Nathan all of a sudden? I mean, I know he kinda hates Nathan for what he did, but I never thought he'd pull a gun on him."

"You know...I don't really know. He's always been a step-douche to me, but he didn't even freak out back when I pulled a knife on him at my birthday party. Maybe you're on to something there Max. Tell you what" the punk had readjusted herself and was now leaning on the railing of the stairs with both of her elbows; "if you want to go ahead and look around in the garage for more of David's shit, be my guest. But I'm still gonna go shower. I smell like shit. But when I get out, why don't we both look through the house. Maybe I can even find out what happened to me in your timeline somehow. Deal?"

"Okay." Max replied as she nodded and broke her eye contact with Chloe.

"But you know...if you wanted to maybe join me in the shower instead, that would be cool too."

"Down Chloe." Max laughed, shaking her head slightly. "Go take your shower so we can go back to being mystery solvers."

"We are totally like the Hardy Boys. Except both of us are girls and both of us are hella hot." Her voice was almost hard to hear as she ended her sentence, having made her way all the way up the stairs and into her room. As soon as she uttered the last few words, Max heard the door to her bedroom close behind her.

_'She's insane. But that's what makes Chloe, Chloe.'_

This was such a weird sight to see. Here Max was, looking around the garage of the Price household, and something felt so very wrong about it. Everything around her looked eerily similar to the last time she had been here. The cabinets in front of her were all shut up with a laptop resting on the counter top, to her left was the washing machine and gun case, to her right a row of lockers and the same car David was working on. It was almost as if nothing in here had been touched since she saw it last in October.

_'Why does everything seem to be exactly where it was before? That was 6 months ago and in a different timeline...'_

The soles of her shoes gently rolled as her feet gently carried her toward David's computer.

_'Okay Max...time to try to remember the password. I wonder if since I never came in here if everything would be where it was before too...'_

Max touched the trackpad at the bottom of the keyboard on the black laptop in front of her, the screen instantly came to life and flickered right back to the last thing that David was doing.

_'Weird...No password this time?'_

The LCD screen displayed an open webpage. Upon further inspecting the words on the screen, Max could see the display showing a recently read email sent this morning from Blackwell Academy.

_'It doesn't feel right to read this, but that's never stopped me before.'_

**Dear Mr. Masden,**

**It has come to our attention that a student has recently been readmitted back into our campus, a student that may cause you some stress. We here at Blackwell Academy strive ourselves on our reputation of caring for not only our students, but also our faculty with the utmost care. That is why we have had a meeting recently with our superintendent and the rest of the school board, and decided that it may be in everyone's best interest to ask you to step down as head of Blackwell Security for the time being, at least until the end of the school year in May. It was all of our belief that you may still be upset over the incident back in October with your stepdaughter, and we would all like to avoid any incidents, just in case. We hope you understand and look forward to seeing you at the start of the school year next year.**

**Best regards,**

**Ray Wells**

_'Oh my god...they suspended him instead of not letting a criminal come back into school. Oh my god. The Prescott's really do control everything around here...I have to go tell Chloe.'_

After taking a second look over the words on the screen to make sure that nothing there was lost on her, Max turned around and began to head for the top of stairs to see Chloe. She opened the door of the garage to get back into the house, rounded the corner to her left, and began to make her way up to Chloe's bedroom. A room she had not seen since everything inside of it was being stripped out and made way for...horrible emptiness. It was heartbreaking to think that Chloe's entire life was confined to one room. Everything that she had ever experienced, everything that made Chloe who she was, was all inside of four walls. Max pushed those feelings out of her head and turned the doorknob to her girlfriend's room, hoping that once she entered, everything inside would be exactly the way it was supposed to be, that it wouldn't be completely barren and horrid, a depressingly vacant room.

A small creak flowed out of the hinges as the door slowly opened, revealing everything to be...exactly the way it should be. Chloe's bed was still at the far side of the room, disheveled. Her desk was still in the exact same chaos that it was in before. Her floor was still lined with papers and other assorted objects, her closet was still in disorder, the cardboard boxes around her bed acting as makeshift night stands that were lined with ashtrays. Everything was just how it was supposed to be, well, almost.

Somehow it caught her eye. It was on the far side of the room, on her desk, hidden away by clutter, and pushed almost all the way to the back corner. But somehow, the picture caught her eye. It encompassed her vision as she walked all the way over to the large picture frame on the desk until it was in reach of her hands. She scooped up the large, white frame and pulled it closer to her eyes.

It encompassed her everything. Sound fell from her ears, sight disappeared from everywhere around her except the photo in her hands. She could barely believe what she was looking at. There in her hands was the photo. THE photo. The photo of the blue butterfly. Underneath the photo was a handwritten note:

**Dear Chloe,**

**I can't hold onto this anymore. It brings me too much sadness to look at, knowing the history behind this, knowing that this was almost the end of you. I know that this means so much more now, that it wasn't almost the death of someone I care deeply about, but the birth of the relationship of someone I care about. See, if it weren't for this day, I would have never reconnected with you. I wouldn't have stayed by your side in the hospital, I wouldn't have talked to Joyce and gotten to know how hard everything was for you, I wouldn't have been there when you woke up, been there for your recovery, felt the bond growing between us until that night you actually came back home and we kissed. I never knew what the feeling of love was until then. So, even though this was the birth of us, I can't stop seeing you lying on the floor and writhing in pain. I can see the beauty behind this shot, but the horror here is in the foreground. So I want you to have it, as a token of how much I love you, because without this, I wouldn't have you. The only person in my life I have ever loved, and will ever love.**

**Love, your baby, Max.**

The final word entered her brain as Max heard a sound. Darting around toward where it came from, Max saw her beautiful, blue haired girlfriend, standing in the doorway with a towel wrapped delicately around her frame. Her hair was still lightly dripping, skin still full of water. She had just got out of the shower.

"Hey babe, didn't know you'd be here." The blush on her face was unmistakable. "Um...you can stay if you want, but I'm gonna get dressed and shit."

Slender arms soon found their way wrapped around Chloe's neck and squeezed. "Woah" Chloe said with a laugh. "If you wanted a piece, you can just ask Max."

"Chloe...no..." her voice was shaky, trying to hold herself together. The picture she had just held was sending spirals of different emotions through her body.

Feeling the trembling of her voice through her throat, Chloe held her girlfriend back. "Hey, what's wrong baby?" It was almost weird how soothing her voice was at this moment. The only thing that Max could think to equate it to was that of the sound of a mother consoling a sad child. A simile that seemed to be perfect, as it was working to calm her down.

Pulling away from their embrace, Max held the picture frame in her hands and handed it delicately to Chloe. "Just...look..."

Confusion had now befallen the taller punk's face as she took the frame in her hands and gazed at her girlfriend, who had now walked over to the foot of her bed and taken a seat. Her eyes looked sad, yet her face held the slightest smile. Not wanting to dwell on everything for too long, Chloe glanced down at the frame for the first time, and immediately understood.

"Oh my god...Max I..."

"Read the note."

Nodding her head, the bluenette glanced down again and began to read the words written on the sheet of paper below. Max watched with a smile on her face as Chloe's eyes scanned the words slowly, immediately understanding the depth of what was going on. Her face began with one of sorrow as she began the note, a face that quickly evolved into more sadness, before finally lighting up into tears with a smile. As soon as she finished reading, Chloe walked over to the desk and laid the photo down before pulling Max up to her feet and kissing her passionately but gently. Their kiss had spoke more than words could have ever said at this moment. It was an unmistakable bond that they could feel between the two of them as each of them understood exactly what had happened in the lives they had never got to live. The love that must have grown between them was a love that was meant to be. It was there when Max visited Chloe in the wheelchair, it was there in the timeline where the storm had swallowed Arcadia Bay, and it was here in a timeline where Chloe survived the gunshot. All of them had extremely different circumstances, yet one thing rang true in all of them; Chloe Price and Maxine Caufield were meant to be.

Slowly pulling away from the kiss and locking eyes with each other, the two girls shared a smile as they gently rested their foreheads against the others.

"So" Max said licking her lips and smiling wider. "I guess this means we are even girlfriends in this timeline."

"I guess so." Chloe replied, moving her head up and kissing Max on the forehead. "I guess no matter where you go, you're stuck with me Maxironi."

_'Never change Chloe.'_

"But uh, while I would love to stand here and get all mushy with you all day, I think I need to change first." It was at this moment that Max remembered that there was only a small towel separating her from Chloe's naked body. A flush instantly worked it's way over her cheeks.

"Oh...uh...p-please go ahead and get dressed. I-I'll just go and...uh..."

"Don't fret yo, I know it's not every day you something this hot this close. I'll forgive you for now Max. But go ahead and chill outside the door, I just need to strip down and dry off. Unless you wanna help?" Chloe winked.

Without saying a word, Max darted for the door as quickly as her feet would carry her, before slamming it closed.

_'Okay...so I said I wanted to shower with Chloe...but I really don't think I'm ready for things like that yet. Too early. Gotta get that off my mind though.'_

Quickly scanning everything around her to try and get her mind off the surely naked Chloe just behind the thin wooden door behind her, Max remembered there was only two doors on the top floor of the Price household. The bathroom – which Chloe just left – still probably smelling of her soaps and still dripping wet just like...then there was her parents room. Perfect.

The room was exactly the way she remembered it, from both realities. Max found her way over to the side of the bed near the window gazed out at the day unfolding around her.

_'Chloe and I...we were totally meant to be together. It really was destiny that we reconnected. Chloe told me that I was denying our fate, but I think that our fate was actually to be together. To be in love, to spend time together, to grow with each other. Chloe seems to have grown up so much in such a short time. She doesn't feel angry anymore, or out to get the whole world and make them pay. Then she helped Alyssa in the shower...she just continues to amaze me and make me proud. I just hope that she feels the same about me.'_

Looking around the room once again, Max noticed something she wasn't sure if she had ever seen before. In fact, Max knew that if she had seen if before she would have done what she was thinking right now, so she can't have seen it before. On the night stand next to the bed was a blue bound notebook with the words 'David' sprawled across it in sharpie.

_'That...that's David's journal...I really shouldn't read it...but...'_

Guilt tinging inside of her stomach, the young brunette grabbed the blue notebook and placed it on her lap.

_'This will have most likely every single answer that I need in here. I have to read it.'_

Max began to flip through the journal slowly, looking mostly at the dates on the top of the paper. Much to her surprise, every single day was accounted for.

_'He certainly is better than me at keeping up with a journal. Which says a whole lot about both David and I.'_

Eyes were more or less scanning the top right corners of every page, as each one of them had the date written on it in red marker.

_'He even has the dates in a different color than the rest of the journal so he can easily tell. Wowsers, David is so much better than me at being a girl.'_

Pages flipped over and over until she found the day she was looking for, October 7th, 2013.

**I have no words. How could I? I failed. I failed Joyce. I failed Chloe. I failed the school. I am the head of security and I didn't stop it. I'm just so glad that Chloe is alive. I haven't been the best father I could be to her. I didn't try hard enough. I failed. I failed. She's alive though. I have a chance again. Can't fail. Won't ever let her get hurt again. Protect family. Soldiers protect. Must protect.**

_'Okay...so...that was...weird. He started getting harder to understand there.'_

She flipped to the next page.

**Doctors say she moved to the right and the bullet barely grazed her. That she will be out in a few days. That she's lucky. I will never get Joyce's crying face out of my head. Can't fail. Won't fail. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect. Must protect.**

_'Oh my god...he's blaming himself. David seems to have taken this so much harder than I could have ever thought.'_

Every page after that one was nearly the exact same. Short, brief sentences, all with David blaming himself. Max decided to flip to a newer page, April 8th of this year.

**He's back. He's going to hurt my baby again. He's going to kill her. I can't let him. I have to fight it. Can't let this feeling win. Am stronger than that. Can win. Must fight.**

Her eyes instantly scanned over to the next page and began reading it without hesitation. The word 'NO' was all it said, in big letters that covered the entire page.

_'David is obviously going through such hell...they tell him to stay home and let an attempted murder come back to school, he feels guilty because he's a soldier, he see's Joyce's crying face everyday in his head...it all makes so much sense.'_

"Okay Maximum Cuteness, ready to go?" Chloe's voice called out to her from the doorway. Max slowly turned her head and flashed a look of sadness to her.

"What? Don't like the nickname? I thought it would be totes adorbs, but I mean if you-"

"Chloe" Max interrupted, looking back down at her lap. "I just read through David's journal...you...you have to read this."

Without hesitation or argument, Chloe sat beside her girlfriend and took the notebook into her lap, reading through the pages Max pointed to her. They both sat there in complete silence as she read, letting the full impact of the words sink into Chloe's mind.

"Dude..." Max could tell instantly that the words were really getting to her, without even seeing the look on Chloe's face. "This is so fucked up."

"That's not all...Chloe...they-they told David to go home for the remainder of the school year because Nathan was back. They chose to let Nathan back in over keeping David. All because of his fucking money..."

Chloe sat in silence, her head in her hands and her shoulders on her knees. "Those motherfuckers!" She screamed, effectively breaking the silence. "They took in that fucking murderer over my fucking step dad?!" Boots clacked against the ground as Chloe stomped her feet, pacing back and forth at the foot of her parents bed. "How in the **fuck** is that fair?"

Arms quickly wrapped around Chloe's stomach and squeezed as hard as she could. "Baby." Her voice felt like silk running through her body. "It's okay. I'm here. We can get through this. I promise." Just like that, the anger in her body had completely subsided. Her pulse was rapidly fading down into a resting pace. All it took was her girlfriend's arms and her voice, and Chloe was at ease.

"Max I-" Chloe began, swallowing a lump in her throat before continuing. "I'm sorry I freaked out. Thank you."

Chloe rested her hands against the smaller girls arms and squeezed them back. Every single angry thought that she had, was now replaced by thoughts of how happy Max made her. How amazing it was that she could pull her out of her rage so easily. How much she loved Max.

Especially the last part.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Note
> 
> Hey yo, welcome to chapter 3! This was a seriously fun chapter to write. I love the opening of the underlying story here. It's vague, and not even beginning to scratch the surface of everything that's happening to poor Max, but things are just starting to finally heat up.
> 
> Next chapter will be delving even deeper into the confusion as to what is happening with time itself, so stay tuned! Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Channel!
> 
> Until next time, stay golden.


	4. Chapter 4

"There is no fucking way I believe you."

"Why would I even lie about that? How could I possibly make that up?"

"So you're telling me that not only did you see a blue butterfly on my tombstone when I was dead, but that it totally landed on my name after you asked if it was me?!"

All Max could do was nod.

"Dude...I guess that would explain a fucking lot." Chloe Price was now smiling to herself as she drove toward their next destination.

Max turned her body slightly on the seat of the truck to get a better look at the driver. As if somehow looking at her fully would help the words inside of her brain sink in deeper. "What do you mean it explains a lot?"

Light sounds of fingers drumming on rubber escaped as Chloe moved her hands out of anticipation against the steering wheel. "Okay dude, think about it. Back in October when you totally saved my ass, you saw a blue butterfly right?"

"Yeah. I took a photo of it."

"Right. Well that's when you first found out about your time travel skills right? That you were totally a bad ass chick that could bend the fabric of space and time all around you. Right before all this crazy, time freezing shit that's happening now, what happened?"

"I..." the realization was slowly starting to wash over Max. "I saw...a blue butterfly."

" _The_ blue butterfly! So, if we use math and shit, the common denominator here, besides us, is that butterfly right?"

"You're so fucking right. I don't know how I never figured that out before..." Her body was now turned back toward the front of the car as the brunette buried her back into the seat behind her, begging for the cushion to take away some of the weight that was building up inside of her head.

"Don't fret babe" Words fell out of Chloe's mouth softly as she reached her right arm around and gently stroked the fabric of her girlfriends shirt on her shoulder.. "This just means that we work better as a team! Chloe and Max, bonded for life."

Max smiled, looking over at the bluenette as she grinned back at her. "In any timeline it would seem."

"Hella yeah! First you and I totally go crazy for each other as we figure out all about Jeffershit, then you tell me about the me in the wheelchair and how I totally had the hots for you, now we find out that us in this timeline that we somehow made hooked up? Dude, we are fucking soulmates obviously."

"You really believe in soulmates?" Her tone of voice was more teasing than it was inquisitive.

"You know, I didn't." Max didn't think she would ever get used to this side of Chloe. The side of her that was completely open, and not afraid of being hurt. A side of Chloe that she rarely got to see in October, but one that she now saw often. It was a sign that Max took that their relationship was moving faster than she could have ever predicted. "But then that day that I totally almost ran you over...when you popped up in front of my truck and I saw you again after 5 years, I just knew. It was like right then, even though I was still so fucking angry, I could feel that I was happier with you. But like, every day that we hung out, I totally felt this urge growing to just fucking be with you."

"Like how?"

"Okay, do you remember when I told you that you could have totally made a move on me and I wouldn't have known about it?"

"Yeah."

"Or how about when I told you to marry me after you totally tried to shoot Frank for me?"

"Illegal in Oregon...I remember..."

"Okay, so then what about when I asked you to be my partner in time? Or when I told you how cute you looked in chemicals? Or when I dared you to kiss me? I was totally already in love with you. I was just trying to be really subtle about it. I had to find out if you swung that way. Which is why I asked you in the pool about boys and shit, or which locker room you wanted to go in. I didn't think someone as gorgeous and talented as Max Caufield would ever want anything to do with a punk like me."

A light clicking sound was the only sound Chloe heard before she felt a small, slender body press itself against her side and rest it's head against her shoulder. "Chloe, I'm no good at mushy shit. I've never been in a relationship before. But I just wanted to say that I love you. That even if you didn't dare me to kiss you in your room that day, I still would have totally kissed you eventually. You make me feel different. Happy. I don't have those really beautiful words to tell you how amazing you are, but just know that I feel them okay?"

If blushes could cause a fire, Chloe would have killed the two of them in seconds. Without speaking a word, nor taking her eyes off the road, the tall punk pushed her hand behind the small of Max's back and pulled the younger girl closer to her body. For the rest of the ride from Chloe's house to the Two Whales, the girls sat in silence and held each other in the comfort of Chloe's truck.

It came slowly, mechanically almost. The sound of an engine spinning slower and slower, humming less and less as tires rolled underneath, before coming to a complete halt only several feet into the parking lot of the diner.

"Shit." Chloe eyed the gauges of her car and squinted. "Fucking thing must be broken."

"Is everything okay?" Max asked as she lifted her head off of Chloe's shoulder, looking up at her girlfriend with a small look of worry in her face.

"Yeah, I'm just out of gas it would seem...fucking wonderful. So Maximus, care to show off your muscles today and help a girl across the street?"

It only took a few minutes to get Chloe's car completely turned around in the small parking lot of the Two Whales and pushed back into the lot of the gas station directly across the street. Even though it felt like much longer.

Sweat was gently glistening off the two girls foreheads as they leaned against the side of Chloe's truck and caught the breaths that had just made it's way out of their lungs.

"Sucks that the first time I make you sweaty and out of breath is when the two of us aren't in a bed together." Chloe was trying desperately to not burst into the laughter she was holding in her chest as she spoke.

"Yeah...really is a shame. I suppose you'll have to make it up to me later." The words flowed from her mouth with a slight tinge of seduction to her voice. As soon as she spoke, Max could see the expression on Chloe's face change from cocky and amused with herself, to a slightly uncomfortable blush.

"You-you uh...Max..." As hard as Chloe tried, she couldn't seem to find the snark inside of her anywhere to comeback with anything.

Finally letting out the laugh that Max had been swallowing for a few seconds as she watched her girlfriend squirm, the young photographer smiled and interlaced her fingers around the bluenette's. "I can play at that game too. You better start watching yourself."

Chuckling nervously as she held her hand back, Chloe looked down at the two of their shoes, standing not far from each others. "Yeah okay okay. Never met anyone who was this good of a match for me! Kind of makes it more fun."

"You knew what you were getting into when you started dating Super-Max." The smile on her face almost hurt as she leaned in and kissed Chloe on the cheek.

_'I have to say, cheeks hurting from smiling too much is something I could get used to.'_

"Yeah, I did. But hey, why stand around while I gas up when you could totally go get us a booth and shit and talk to mom?"

"I-I really want you to be there when I talk to her. I don't know if I can-"

"Max, listen." Her voice was caring, yet commanding "you can do this. You are Spider-Max, like you said. If you can take down Jefferson, get justice for Rachel, and save my ass countless amounts of times, you can totally handle a conversation with my mom. I'll be there in a soon anyway. Just gotta get gas. Won't take a lot of time. Promise."

"Okay..." Sadness was bleeding right through her words as she slowly let go of her taller punk girlfriend's hand and hung her head down slightly.

"My god Max, you trying to upstage me in the pity kisses department?"

"...maybe."

Without hesitating, Chloe placed her hands on Max's shoulders, causing the brunette to lift her head up, planting a small kiss on her lips. "Better?"

Smiling another cheek painful smile, Max nodded her head. "Much."

"Okay, now go see my mom! Let her know that we're both still alive and shit."

Max spun on her right heel, walking happily toward the Diner across the street. Happy thoughts circled through her head.

_'This is perfect. Life with Chloe is perfect. She's so-'_

"Hey Max!"

"Yes dear?" Max smiled as she pivoted on her heel.

"Uh...can I borrow some cash to pay for gas? I'm still hella broke from October."

Rolling her eyes, the brunette reached into her messenger bag and pulled out her wallet. Digging around for her mother's credit card, an idea suddenly worked it's way across her brain. "Wait...what about the handicapped fund?"

"Why would I still have the money from something that never technically happened Caufield?"

"I didn't think about that."

"Wow, and I'm brand new to this time travel thing. Looks like I just leveled up."

_'Please, if there is anyone out there listening, let Chloe and I do this for the rest of out lives.'_

The midday sun was beating down on Arcadia Bay, causing the usual chilly April to feel rather warm. Walking across the black asphalt, Max took in the sights of the ancient yet classic diner. Just the sight of this place was enough to bring back a flood of memories. It had to be one of the only places that had burrowed it's way into the young photographer's mind, one of the few landmarks of this town that actually felt like it mattered to her. It was a place that reminded Max of her childhood, yet also gave her a slight prick of fear pulsing through her. It was like lying on a bed of nails; you know that the nails wont hurt you due to the equal weight distribution on all of them, yet you still can't seem to shake the fear inside of you warning you that you're about to die.

Stopping dead in her tracks, Max looked up at the sign of diner, plastered in great big neon lights.

_'I hate that now every time I see this place, the only thing that I can ever see is "Die"...'_

With the lump that was building in her throat now swallowed, Max grabbed her elbow and began to walk her way up the right side steps into the small hallway entrance of the diner. Just as her hand grabbed the metal handle, a voice called from behind her.

"Young senior...is that you?"

Momentarily, Max assumed that the voice wasn't talking to her. That whatever mysterious voice was calling out, was calling out to someone else. Until the voice spoke again.

"I remember you. You were the nice girl who is friends with Joyce's daughter. Chloe right?"

A small squeak came from under the rubber of her soles as she spun around on the concrete steps. Her eyes landed upon a person that she had not expected to see. The homeless woman.

"Yeah, I'm friends with Chloe. I guess I didn't see you there."

"No one ever really does. I just come up when people would need me the most. How are you?"

She realized that for some reason, she couldn't keep her eyes on the woman as she walked over to her, as if the woman was grilling her.

"I...I guess I'm okay. I have definitely been much much worse."

"Well. That's really great to hear. I was worried that you wouldn't have made it through that horrible storm."

Ice ran through her veins and seemed to replace all of the blood within her body. Balance seemed to momentarily lapse from her as her head seemed to fill itself with helium. "What...what did you just say?" Her left arm instantly reached out beside her and braced her body against the building. Heat warmed up the small hand as it made contact with the metal siding. This could not be real.

"I really was worried that you and Chloe wouldn't make it; what with the way that everything was happening all around you. I'm so glad to see that you two did."

"How..." her mind was circling trying to find the words. "How do you know?"

"I told you...I've been here for a thousand years, I feel everything Arcadia Bay feels. Even if it doesn't exist here, it did exist somewhere, and I felt it. Just like I feel everything crashing all around us, like time is merging itself together."

Heartbeats began to deafen the girl as she shook her head swiftly, trying desperately to push the light feeling out of her head and regain complete control of her body. "What...what do you mean time is...time is merging together?"

The woman simply smiled. "Time is heavy, young senior. You can't have too much of it stacked together before it all comes crashing down. Time is like a pebble in a pond...if you cast a stone into it, it will ripple through the entire pond, moving everything around. But if you give it enough time, the waves will calm. Throw another stone in before everything is calm, and the waves will crash upon themselves and create more chaos."

Without warning, her knees gave way. The pavement hit her hand with an intensity that shot up her arm and quickly entered her brain. Everything around her felt as if it were spiraling once more, breath felt as if it couldn't be caught, thoughts bounced around in her skull, gaining velocity as it ricocheted. Max once again felt the restraints around her mind beginning to tighten as she lost control. Panting and clutching at the small rocks on the pavement with her nails, trying frantically to grasp a hold of anything she could, Max proceeded to have another panic attack.

It felt like an eternity as Max crouched there on the sidewalk and tried to catch her breath, or her thoughts, or the feeling of control of anything at all. An eternity of waiting for something to happen, anything at all, and then something did.

Pressure suddenly found its way onto the photographer's back and side, not pressing with the intent of harm, but comfort. Looking up toward the source of her pressure, Max saw the one thing she had been hoping to see deep inside of her, underneath her own personal storm of emotions.

Chloe.

"Oh my god, Max! Are you okay?" Worry was soaking through the bluenette's words as she stared at her girlfriend on the sidewalk and tried to think of what she was supposed to do.

Every single ounce of strength the girl had inside of her, forced the words trapped deep inside of Max's chest out of her mouth in between gasps for air. "Panic...attack...please get me inside."

Before Max could even realize what was happening, her body was already being picked up by the older punk and carried to the back entrance of the diner.

A thud resonated through the walls as Chloe kicked the red door open and carried her girlfriend inside before turning around and placing her down on the floor of the storage room, next to the cans of beans.

"What in the hell is going on back here?" A voice was calling from the swinging door to the diner. Looking up, Chloe instantly recognized the voice coming from the door, Joyce.

"Mom...it's Max. She's freaking out and cant breathe so I brought her inside here. I didn't know what to do..." Her voice was trembling as she slightly shook with fear. This entire experience was new to her, and Chloe had no clue whatsoever as to what someone was supposed to do during a panic attack.

"Oh my god. That poor baby...look at me Chloe." Her mother's eyes were comforting, yet still somehow commanding. "You have to stay calm, just be there for her and try to make her feel as comfortable as you can. Just do whatever you can to try and calm Max down. I have to go and tend to the others out there dear, but you can handle this. I'll come back just as soon as I can."

One simple nod escaped her panicked face before her mom turned and walked back out the door to deal with the line of customers in her diner, leaving Chloe to deal with Max on her own.

"Hey, baby. Listen to me okay?" Chloe was already sitting right next to her girlfriend, back toward the wall. "You're gonna be okay. I promise. You can do this Max, I believe in you." Skin contacted skin as Chloe placed her hand on Max's cheek and stroked her cheekbone with her thumb gently. "I got you, okay? I love you."

Fear still conquering her face, Max looked at her girlfriend with desperation. Instinctively, her face pressed into the blunette's hand and nuzzled itself into her, desperately seeking contact before her arms wrapped around Chloe's waist as her face dug into her tank top.

"I love you too." Was all Max said as she concentrated on slowing her breathing down. Taking in the feeling of warmth spreading throughout her body as Chloe held her on the dirty floor of the diner's storage. She concentrated on the combination of men's deodorant and smoke from Chloe's clothing, on the way the fabric tickled her nose as she rubbed into the girl, trying to find a connection. Max focused on Chloe's arms as they rubbed her back with a caring soothing feeling, the soft voice that whispered "I love you" repeatedly, the lips that gently caressed the top of her head. All of these things slowly allowed Max to regain control of herself and her thoughts. Bringing her back from the realms of insanity, calming down her mind, and saving her from her own internal storm.

Breath calmed eventually. The world suddenly came back to her in small bits and pieces, like a puzzle. One by one, each piece fell around her until the entire world was set back into it's natural form. While it might be a chaotic world, constantly spinning and never settling; it was a world that Max Caufield could exist in, the one she was accustomed to.

A small twitch pulsated in her arms, causing Max to look down to see a pair of piercing blue eyes staring right into hers, almost as if they were looking directly into her soul.

"Max...are you okay?" Chloe spoke. "Baby, talk to me. Are you okay?"

Being called that sent a chill down Max's spine, causing all of her hairs to stand on end. "Yeah...I'm okay. Thank you so much." Beans digging into her back were starting to grate on her nerves, even if lying here in Chloe's arms were a feeling she never thought she would ever tire of, Max knew that she had to get up. Pressing her arm down on the floor and bringing her small frame up off the cold, dirty tile, the photographer reached her hand out and took her girlfriend's hand into her own, bringing her to her feet as well.

Chloe wrapped her arms around Max's neck and pulled her in as tightly as she could, causing one of her feet to momentarily lose it's footing as she swung all of her weight over to the foot closest to Max, before rocking back to the other one and planting both of her feet back down. "What happened? Did...did coming here really freak you out that badly? We can go if you want, it's really not that big of a deal."

"Chloe, you need to see your mom. It wasn't even that...it was that homeless lady. She said some things..."

It looked like Max was speaking a different language by the look on Chloe's face. "Um, I don't know what you think you saw...but there was no one there."

An arrow of confusion mixed with nervousness flashed it's way through her body as she replied. "Wh-what do you mean? There was a woman there. A homeless woman. She even said she knew you, and Rachel. The lady that your mom feeds outside."

"I don't...mom never talks about anyone like that...did you hit your head? There was no one outside Max. No one was with you."

"That can't be...she told me about the storm and that there are too many timelines. Chloe" Max's hand grabbed Chloe's forearm and pulled her in closer. "She told me something about stones in a pond. That if you throw a rock into it, it will ripple around the pool, but if you throw in two it will cause more chaos..."

Blue chipped finger nails snaked their way softly into locks of brown hair as the fingertips around them gently rubbed the back of the young photographers neck as worry filled the punk's eyes as the words came into her ears and implanted in her mind. "Max...no one was there. But...what does that mean?"

"I don't know Chloe...I don't know..."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> Hey yo, welcome to chapter 4 of Episode 2! You know...that really is a great question isn't it? What was that old woman talking about? Well, I mean I know. I guess you will all just have to keep tuning in to find out exactly what she meant!
> 
> So yeah, like I promised last time, the plot thickens and thickens doesn't it? I don't know about all of you, but that homeless woman took everything...too well in my eyes. She always felt like a much larger player than she seemed to play. Also, no one else ever talks about her. I always found that line about living a thousand years to be ominous and seem to mean she knows something more than she gives off. I don't know how convoluted that really is, but I like the idea of her being the actual embodiment of Arcadia Bay.
> 
> Everything is only going to get more complicated from here. Next chapter though, You can bet that things will be heating up even more. In fact, expect every single chapter from here on out to be like a pressure cooker, until everything boils over at the end of the episode. Also, wouldn't be fair of me not to give off a fair warning, have tissues ready for next chapter. I won't promise you will cry, but I can promise that it's not going to be as fluffy as this one.
> 
> But until then, be sure to follow this story/leave a review/pm me with anything you may want to talk about. I am an open door always. To quote John Lennon "you can talk to me." Silly quote, out of context from a song, but you get the point. But be sure to stay tuned! Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Channel!
> 
> Until next time, stay golden.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Notes:
> 
> Another warning here about some more potentially upsetting stuff. I don't want to put what it is in the tags again, because it ruins the suspense. So just another warning.

Tires came screeching to a dead stop as Chloe pulled her car into the parking lot of Blackwell, once again double parked and set in the handicapped zone.

"Chloe Elizabeth Price." Her voice was stern, and her face even more so. "Why do you always have to park like an asshole?"

"Wait...when's the last time you saw a legit asshole park? Who gave it a drivers license?" The look on her face looked almost genuine, except the obvious smile that was trying to escape from the corners of her lips.

Max swore for a moment she saw the front of her brain. "You know what I mean Chloe. You don't have to park like you own the damn place."

"No, I don't. That would clearly be the Prescott's that do."

"Chloe. Park like a regular person." Annoyance was clearly being forced out of her tone.

"How do they park again? I've never been regular, always been the hot kind of person."

"Chloe." Not so much now.

"Alright fine, jeez. You're tripping balls over here about a parking job, when we clearly have a mission to accomplish."

Correcting her parking only took Chloe half of a minute, but by the way it was going, Max swore that it was killing her slowly to do, as if her life was being wasted right in front her her. Finally, tires in between the yellow lines of only one parking space, Chloe killed the engine to her old, battered pick up and stepped out of the car.

The grounds of the school was at a comfortable peace. Leaves were rustling in the wind, birds flew peacefully throughout the skies, the sunset was beginning to create a sky that begged to be discussed by artists as it dashed the normal blue and gold with beautiful hues of pink. The shimmering gold rays of the sun reflected back into the green of the grounds, turning the grass ablaze. Leaves in the trees seemed to dance with a splendor as sunlight shone through them from every which way. Even the bronze statue at the head of the school was practically glowing. The photos Max was taking with her eyes were gorgeous.

"So, where are we going to find David?" Max asked a loud to her girlfriend, who was walking not far ahead of her.

"This is your school, hippy. How the hell am I supposed to know where to go?"

"You went here too, smart ass." Max crossed her arms as she spoke, trying to fight off the sass she knew would be coming her way.

"I think you mean fine ass Max. Like my ass is super fine. Totally okay if you're staring at it."

"Chloe, let's be serious here."

"Yeah yeah serious, come on Max! I know crazy shit has happened today, but loosen up yo. Everything isn't always life or death!"

Max hesitated for a moment and stopped in her tracks. Her heart felt like it broke a tiny about for a second. Pain ran through her body as she felt her eyes well up. "...that isn't funny."

Tiny gravel on the cement pathway turned under the punk's shoe as she pivoted her body around in a mid stride, trying to keep walking and look at her girlfriend at the same time. Her brain was getting ready to quip out another sarcastic remark before Chloe saw Max standing behind her, grasping her elbow and hanging her head down so that you couldn't see her eyes. Guilt instantly made it's way through her body as she walked back over to Max with urgency in her steps.

"I didn't mean anything by it. I'm so sorry Max." Her voice was sincere, but her body had no idea what to do, how to react to the situation.

"You...you don't have any idea what it's like to lose you..." Her voice trailed off at the end as the brunette sniffled slightly and wiped her nose with the back of her hand.

Chloe merely stood there quietly and furrowed her brow in worry, hoping inside that she hadn't fucked up too hard.

"You say it was awful for me to abandon you for 5 years...but you knew I was alive. Imagine me being fucking dead Chloe. Imagine knowing you can _never_ see me again. Never hear my laugh or see my smile or hold me ever again..." Hair flew out from around the girl's face as she whipped her head up to look Chloe in the eyes.

A chill made its way down Chloe's spine as those blue eyes stared deeply into her. It felt like she was scanning ever single inch of who she was inside, that Max was going to find all of her own darkest secrets. "I wasn't thinking Max...I'm so sorry." Chloe did the one thing she knew how to do at this moment, and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "We still haven't talked a lot about that kind of shit. Let's go find David, then get to a quiet place where we can hash all that out okay? Assuming that he's even still at the place he got told to stay away from."

Max simply nodded as she pressed her face into Chloe's chest.

Kissing the top of her head and rubbing her back softly, Chloe chuckled. "You know what? I totally saw that you have an old Nintendo in your room. Why don't we get some food and play that tonight? Just the two of us, like old times."

Her eyes once again raised up to meet Chloe's, only this time, they were much calmer, happier even. "Yeah. But only if you don't throw a tantrum when I beat your ass like you used to."

"I swear you used to cheat. There is no way that you were _that_ good at Street Fighter. Especially when it was my game!" Chloe extended her arms out and grabbed Max's shoulders delicately, rubbing the fabric of her shirt to try and comfort her as she smirked at her.

"Don't hate the player, hate the game." It was so painfully obvious that she was trying to rile her up.

"I don't hate the player, and I do hate that fucking game. So don't even bring it out. I'm not going to play it." One arm wrapped around both of her shoulders now, the two girls began to walk toward the dormitories.

"Oh, so you don't hate the player?" Her eyes slowly closed as she leaned her head into Chloe and smiled.

"Nope, I actually really fucking love her."

"Oh yeah...how much?"

"I'd say probably more than you could ever count to. Even with time bending powers. You could live your whole life, travel back to now and keep counting and you still would never reach the number. You know, on a scale of one to ten."

Face now completely red, accenting her freckles more than ever, Max smiled a smile that only Chloe had ever made her smile. "You really are just a big ball of mush under that punk exterior, aren't you?"

"Well I mean, technically organs are mushy. But other than that, hell no sista! I am 100% punk all the way to my core. I just happen to have a gigantic soft spot for short photographers with freckles and brown hair is all."

"If Warren was shorter and had freckles then you'd be all over him?"

"Okay, also hella cute and named Maxine Caufield. Better?"

"Mucho." Lifting her face up, Max kissed her girlfriend on the cheek as they walked their way down the steps into the dormitories area.

Noise seemed to be swelling with every step as the two girls made their way over to the gate to the dorms. Their eyes locked for a second as the two of them decided to walk faster over to the rather loud sound of multiple people all talking at the same time. Passing through the gate, Max suddenly felt sick to her stomach as she saw a gathering of people just in front of the walkway.

_'This is...this is just like Kate...oh no.'_

Acting on her first instinct, Max pushed Chloe's arm off of her shoulders and ran forward to the crowd, her eyes fixated on the top of the dorms, internally begging for there to be no one on the roof. A second after her head rounded the corner, a pulse of instant gratification ran throughout her veins.

_'Okay. No one is there. That's awesome...but why are there so many people?'_

Ignoring the chants that the kids were yelling around her that were all mixing into a a roar, Max began to push her way through the crowd of students all gathered until she fought her way to the front of the group. Forcibly shoving her way past elbows and shoulders, she finally made her way to the center of all of the confusion. Standing there in a circle of all of her classmates was Warren and Nathan.

"Shut the fuck up!" Were the first words that Max could actually made out since trying to force her way into the congregation, coming straight from Warren's mouth. Her mind instantly began reaching to the conclusion that Nathan had once again come to pick a fight with Warren, come to once again try and assert his stupid male dominance on someone. Warren's voice was commanding and full of venom, as if he were an animal tired of being at the back of the pack, trying to force his way to the front.

"Leave me alone Graham. I don't want to do any of this. Please just let me go back to my room." The words that Nathan spoke, however, sounded less threatening than usual. It almost sounded...frightened.

"You're gonna pay for all the bullshit you did. Everyone here knows what you did to Kate! What you did to Rachel! You think you can just get away with something like that because your family is really rich?!"

"Don't talk about my family! You don't have any idea what the hell you're talking about. Just let me go back to my room!"

It was as if somehow, the roles here had reversed. As if Nathan was the one being constantly teased and harassed. Nathan looked more scared than Max had ever seen him in the entire time they had gone to school together. He looked like a deer straight in the headlights, constantly shifting his glances over the gathering of students as if he were trying to find a way out. Was he trying to find a way out?

"Fuck you, you rich ass bitch! I'm so gonna go Conan on your ass!" Raising his fist and charging at Nathan, Warren connected a blow to the back side of Nathan's head. He was aiming for the front of his face, but just as Warren was coming close, Nathan ducked down, as if he were flinching. Nathan Prescott, flinching at Warren Graham; the universe must be more fucked up than Max could have ever thought. Warren gripped his wrist and hunched his back over, crying out in pain at just how hard the back of a head was to actually connect with. But Nathan didn't use this opportunity to fight back. Nathan was acting so incredibly out of character. Scared, uncomfortable, desperate.

It didn't take but a few seconds for Warren to shake the pain out of his wrist. By this point in time, Nathan had already began to try and pick himself off the ground, taking the opportunity, Warren lifted his leg and connected right with the center of his stomach. A loud cry of pain pierced through the air before Warren lifted his leg and began to kick Nathan in the teeth as hard as he could.

Crunching, the sound of teeth being caved in was a disgusting crunching sound. It was almost as sickening to listen to as the sound of the blood that was pooling in Nathan's mouth as he attempted to scream at Warren to stop kicking him. It was like a sad, gurgling sound. That mixed with the crunching was enough to make Max want to vomit.

_'I can't just stand by and let Nathan get fucking destroyed like that. I...I have to help him..."_

A slight pulsing feeling made it's way up Max's arm as she slowly raised it up to shoulder level. Each finger felt the all too familiar tingling sensation make it's way up and out of her fingers, as she slowly felt the stream of time drag itself backwards. The scene in front of her was almost as terrifying to watch in reverse as it had been in forward, causing Max to close her eyes and let time slip by as far back as she could before the throbbing returned. Wincing at the pain, Max opened her eyes with her brow furrowed in pain.

"You're gonna pay for all the bullshit you did. Everyone here knows what you did to Kate! What you did to Rachel! You think you can just get away with something like that because your family is really rich you jerk?!" It wasn't as far back as Max would have liked, but it was just far back enough to intervene. Stepping out from the crowd, Max placed herself between the two boys.

"Warren! What are you doing? Don't waste your school record on a fight!"

His face looked like he had seen a ghost. "Max...don't do this. He deserves way more than what I'm gonna do to him!"

"Who are you to decide what he deserves and what he doesn't?"

"Max, come on! He killed Rachel! He drugged Kate! He even shot your girlfriend! Are you trying to say that he should just get off easy? He already paid his way out of going to jail." His fists were lowered down to his sides at this point, nails digging into his hand as he fought off the urge to just push his crush out of the way and begin the fight anyway.

"No, I don't think that, but I do think that we shouldn't be the ones who decide what should and shouldn't happen to other people. That isn't fair. I'm sure Nathan is having to deal with that kind of bullshit on his own. Remember how horribly everyone was reacting to..." her breath hitched in her throat as she fought down a sob "...to what happened to Kate? How is this any different? Everyone decided the best thing to do would be to take matters into their own hands, and that didn't end badly, but who knows if this will?"

Pant's escaped her lips, Max had no idea just how loud she had been talking, she had gone from speaking directly to Warren with her speech, and ended up speaking to entire student body as a whole. With her head already throbbing from rewinding time too far, Max now had to deal with the headache she was getting from yelling too long.

Every single student's eyes were on the girl, an entire circle of her classmates, looking directly at her as her words began to sink into their skulls. It was almost as if a shock wave of realization was washing over the top of them as they stood there and realized what they had done. Their eyes quickly began looking around at each other, disappointment in themselves plastered on their faces, internally begging for someone to blame so they wouldn't take all of the blame upon themselves. Unfortunately, they were all to blame, everyone just as much as the other.

Tension seemed to dissipate as the group of students split off into smaller groups, all holding quiet conversations. The once mighty gathering had now dwindled down to only 4 people. Warren, Chloe, Max, and surprisingly, Kate. Nathan must have made his way out during the midst of Max's speech.

Grabbing the back of his neck, Warren looked down at his shoes, defeated. "I...I'm sorry Max. I didn't think that-"

"That's the problem Warren, you didn't think. You know that this could only mean trouble. You're smarter than that."

"You're right Max...I think I'm gonna go...I've already caused enough trouble today..."

"You didn't. You just got upset."

Without saying a word, Warren turned and walked back toward the doors to the dorms, head hung low as he carried the weight of his actions on his shoulders.

"Max..." the unmistakable soft voice of Kate spoke with a tinge of sadness in her. "You...you are so right...I feel so bad for not trying to stop it..."

That made her heart break slowly inside of her chest. Feet causing the small blades of grass to bend under her, giving off that satisfying crunch with each footstep, Max wrapped her arms around the sad blonde and hugged her tightly. "No, Kate, this isn't you battle. You of all people shouldn't feel bad. You had a reason to be angry. Don't you dare beat yourself up over this."

"But Max...I was the one who started this...I started yelling at Nathan. I just, I felt everything inside of me boil with this anger I couldn't control. I just wanted to yell at him, that's all. But then Warren came out and started yelling too...then everyone gathered around and-"

"Kate, listen. You have every right to be angry." Letting go slowly of the blonde that was squeezing Max tightly, trying no doubt to fight off her own tears forming in her own eyes, Max slid her hands down to Kate's hands and held them tenderly. "You're too good of a person Kate. Everyone slips up sometimes. If this is as bad as you get it, you truly are a saint."

Smiling a very sad smile, Kate looked her friend in the eyes. "Thank you so much Max. You've always been there for me. Even when your girlfriend was in the hospital and you didn't leave her side, you still called me every day to check up on me. You're a true friend. I'm gonna go back to my room now and play some sad songs on my violin now...it will help me feel better."

"Good idea, maybe I'll join you later and we can have a sad song jam sesh." Max's smile was much more filled to with care.

_'Poor, sweet Kate, she still seems broken inside about everything. I guess she can join the club. We have cookies, and Chloe. Speaking of...'_

Max pivoted on her heel to turn and face her girlfriend, who she was sure had a smile plastered on her face, awaiting her return with open arms for diffusing another situation that she thankfully would never have to experience; only to find the opposite. Her eyes glaring, almost burrowing deep down into Max, eyebrows furrowed, and arms crossed.

_'Why is she so upset?'_

"Chloe, are you okay?" Max asked with concern in her voice, unsure still if it were concern for herself or for Chloe.

"Fucking great! Fantastic even. I need to talk to you." She was obviously pissed.

Grabbing the short photographer by the wrist, the tall punk lead her swiftly inside the dorm building, up the stairs, and into her hallway. The entire walk was filled with an unspeakable tension. Max felt as if her wrist would bruise by how incredibly tightly Chloe was squeezing her.

Feet could barely keep up with the girl in front of her as she almost tripped as they walked with a very brisk pace to Max's dorm room. With something akin to a toss, Chloe flung her girlfriend in her room and slammed the door behind her.

"What the actual fuck did you just do?" She didn't even wait to turn around before beginning to scold Max intensely.

"Wh-what are you talking about?" Max began rubbing gently at her wrist as a slight fear began bubbling in her stomach, causing it to churn.

Crossing her arms, Chloe continued. "Back there, with Nathan? Why did you stop nerdbro from kicking his fucking teeth in? That little fucker Prescott deserves so much more than we can even do to him."

Panic starting to knock at the door of her brain, as did the annoyance of Chloe's words, Max spat back "he doesn't deserve to be fucking destroyed Chloe!"

"Oh, okay. So the guy who you watched kill me countless time's in a bathroom, threatened us both," anger was rising through her voice causing it to go from a simple bark to a full blown yell. "Drugged Kate, and fucking _killed_ Rachel, deserves to be fucking okay?! Are you fucking kidding me right now?!"

"He's sick Chloe! He was being fed the wrong medication by a doctor, his parent's didn't care either! The only person that ever pretend to care for him was a psychopath! I've had so much time to come to terms with that!"

"Well I haven't!" Chloe screamed. Her words reverberated off the walls of the small room. Standing for a few seconds, panting gently as her face contorted from pure, seething rage into a desperate cry; Chloe hit the floor and pulled her hands over her eyes, sobbing loudly. Falling to her knees next to her, Max caressed her girlfriend's back gently, rubbing the fabric of her tank top against her back in small circles.

"I haven't..." her voice was barely above a whisper as she quelled down the volume of her tears. "He killed her Max...she didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve to die!" Her tone was beginning to sound more and more desperate as she spoke. "I loved her Max...I loved her so much! You will never get to meet her because that _fucking asshole_ killed her. Then..." after gasping for air a few times, stifling off more tears, Chloe wiped her eyes. "then he killed me...he made the one person in the world that I love more than anything suffer. He made you miserable...he robbed me of my life! It isn't fucking fair!"

Once again, Chloe allowed herself to cry. Finally cry. Her tears hit the floor as she balled herself up on the Keep Calm rug at the front of the room. The truest definition of irony.

Max was speechless. Thoughts in her head even ceased to form as she watched her girlfriend lie on the floor in so much pain. It was breaking her heart to watch, so intensely that it was causing tears to from in her own eyes.

"Chloe...I..."

"He tried to use me as one of his model's Max...he drugged me in his room and when I found him with the camera...he was trying to murder me too...I would have been buried in the junkyard with Rachel and no one would have ever found me...I would have never seen you again. I would have never got to feel your love. I would have died so confused and scared. Just like Rachel. No one would have ever even looked for me!"

Tears were now flowing freely from Max's eyes, streaming down her face as she tried to hold herself together. "I would have." The words were barely audible. "I would have searched every fucking day until I found you. I wouldn't have rested until I did. Chloe...you would have been to me what Rachel was to you." She wrapped her arms tightly around the punk girl's body and sobbed loudly into her side, Chloe being the rock she so needed. "I'm so sorry. I just want to save everybody!"

Tears and sobs were the only thing that could be heard in that room. Soft pant's and cries were muting out all other sounds that may have existed. It was horribly depressing, but seriously liberating. Seconds crawled by until Chloe spoke, wiping here eyes and catching her breath from how hard she was crying. Her throat felt dry and her lungs felt swollen. Months of frustrations had been let out of her body. Of abandonment, of pain, of true hurt.

"I...I saw what happened..." She finally said, breaking the sounds of tears.

Lifting her head up from Chloe's side, Max wiped her own eyes and looked at the punk girl with confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I...I saw David shoot Nathan...I saw you rewind. I felt time move backwards around me. I was so scared at the time that I thought that I imagined it. But then...I saw Nathan getting his teeth kicked in. I heard it Max. I know what happened."

"You don't mean-"

"I think...I think you taking me out of my timeline fucked me up. I think..." taking a breath and turning on her knees to better face her girlfriend, Chloe continued. "I think it made your rewind...not work on me anymore."

Her mind could barely process this.

"Try it again Max. Prove it to me."

"How?"

"Tell me something right now that there's no way I could know, then rewind. Then ask me what you said. If I know...then we'll both know this is real."

Worry plastered to her face, Max looked around the room and struggled to think about what to tell Chloe.

_'What should I tell her...something that she wouldn't know...'_

The idea was already forming in her head on what she should tell her. The one thing that Max had never told anyone, not her parents, not her journal, not Kate, Warren, Victoria...no one had ever known about this. This was not something she wanted to do. Something she hopped no one would ever know, for her sake as well as theirs. It was the one thing she was ashamed of. The one thing she never spoke of aloud, to anyone. Even herself.

"Chloe...I..." Max took a sharp inhale through her nose and shut her eyes tightly, trying to find the courage inside of her to tell her. "After you died...one month to the day...I..." she swallowed hard. Her mouth could barely form the words at all. Her eyes felt like they would explode with tears. No matter how hard she tried, something inside of her wouldn't let her say it. She could feel her heart breaking with every single second as she studied Chloe's face, her eyes showing every question inside of her head and the heart break in her chest.

"Max...what happened? What did you do?" She whispered, voice drenched in sadness.

"I...I tried to kill myself..." Max's throat suddenly ran dry as the words finally slipped out. Lowering her head to avoid her girlfriends gaze, she continued. "I wrote a note. I went to the roof of the school and...I just stood at the edge. It was long after midnight. No one else was awake. I just stood there and thought about you. I could barely stand to be without you. I hadn't gone back to school, I just stayed in bed and cried everyday until I fell asleep. So...I went to the roof. I couldn't do it. I tried. I just couldn't let myself step off." Her voice sounded pleading. As if she were begging for her to understand. Begging for Chloe to not overreact. To not hate her.

"Max-" Eyes filled with tears, Max raised her arm and rewound time, begging with everything inside of her that Chloe was wrong. That she wouldn't have to face Chloe. That Chloe would never know that she was so desolate without her. That she would go back to before she ever told her that, that Chloe would still think Max was the easy going hippy that she came to love. Her heart pounded painfully in her chest as she lowered her hand; feeling the tingling dissipate in her fingers. Max finally raising her head, looked back at Chloe with her eyes still threatening to burst into tears. Max took a deep breath and forced the words out of her throat. "What did I tell you?"

A silence befell the room. Chloe's eyes were scanning Max's face, mouth slightly agape. She still could barely believe the words Max had just told her. Everything inside her wished that she still moved with time. That she would never make her girlfriend have to relive that. So that horrible look on her face would never be burned into her memory, the pain in her eyes as she told her a thing that she never dealt with. After staring in disbelief for a moment, Chloe finally blinked herself back into reality, and spoke with words as softly as she could."You...you told me...about you on the roof." Chloe sprung forward and wrapped her arms tightly around Max's neck and squeezed like she was holding onto Max for dear life. As if once she let go, Max would disappear. That she herself may float away, or crumble into pieces, or her heart would stop beating all together. "Tell me you were lying. Please. Tell me you didn't almost...because of me."

She couldn't reply. How could she? All her mind allowed her to do was bury her face in Chloe's shirt and weep. Weep tears that had never once been allowed to come out. It was a cry that she needed to have for months. One she figured she would eventually just forget about. One she hoped would fade away.

Chloe simply stared forward. Her mind unable to understand the words that she had just heard. They just would not connect inside of her. As if it were a different language that Max had just spoke to her. She refused to believe it. She couldn't believe it. How could anyone miss her _that_ much?

"Chloe..." Max finally spoke as she lifted her head up. "I didn't mean to. I was so stupid. I just missed you so fucking much. I couldn't handle missing you, Jefferson, Rachel, Nathan...I couldn't handle it all by myself. I was so alone. I had no one. I couldn't tell people about something that never happened. I had to fight everything all by myself. I wanted peace. I wanted to feel normal..."

"Where is it?" Her voice was soft but commanding.

"What?"

"The note. Where is it?"

Without a word, Max stood up and walked over to her desk. "It's not here...I guess it doesn't exist anymore."

"Well get another piece of paper and fold it up."

"Why?"

"Just do this for me. Please."

Max did exactly as she was told and grabbed a piece of paper, folding it into a small square. "What are you going to do?"

"I'm going to burn it."

"What?"

Licking her lips and clearing her throat, Chloe repeated her self. "I'm going to burn it. You're never, ever going to go through that again. I know..." she fought off the sobs building up in her chest. "I know you would have kept it in case you were going to need it again...but you won't. I promise. I am _never_ leaving you, ever again."

Chloe reached in her pocket and pulled out her small black lighter. Her thumb snapped quickly over the flint wheel, as a small flame danced to life. Chloe locked eyes with her girlfriend and stifled back her tears. "We will do this together. Just like everything else in life, from now on."

A small smile crept onto the corners of Max's lips as she stared lovingly at her tall girlfriend. "I love you more than words could ever describe. So fucking much." Moving her hand over to the flame, Max allowed the small paper note to catch fire. Walking over to her small nightstand next to her bed, Max placed the flaming memory into the drinking glass resting on top of it before walking back over to Chloe and holding her hand. Eyes were staring at the paper as it burned away, a small smoke trail circling in the air, carrying small bits of ash with it. Chloe gripped Max's hand tighter as she watched it slowly open, the flames engulfing the paper, completely destroying it. Leaving no one but Max to ever know what the words said. No one to ever know exactly how desolate the words themselves were, how heartbreaking they were just to pen down, the number of tear stains on the note.

Just the way she wanted it.

The two stood, unmoving until the paper burned away into nothing but smoldering ashes. A memory that now, just like so many others, did not exist. This one was different however. This was a memory that Max wanted to stay in the past, a memory she was glad that never technically happened. A sad smile crossed Max's face as she turned and looked over at her girlfriend. "Thank you."

"I love you." Was all Chloe could think to say as she pulled Max in and hugged her with passion.

Returning the embrace, Max smiled rubbed her nose in Chloe's tank once again, inhaling her scent before the two broke apart.

"That...was a lot of bullshit to deal with."

_'Finally, a joking Chloe.'_

"But...I don't regret it. I don't regret anything." She continued.

"What about grabbing my hand so tight? I didn't know such skinny arm's could squeeze that hard."

"Well, you should never judge a book by it's cover. Unless it has me on the front and you think that I look totally hot. Then please do." Chloe chuckled and lifted both of Max's arms up and kissed across both wrists. "That help out any?"

"Yeah actually. But if you have a spare one...I won't stop you."

"Cocky, Caufield." Chloe leaned in and planted a soft kiss on her girlfriend's lips before pulling away quickly, just before she could react. "Come on now, we really need to go find David. Where ever he may be."

Long legs carried the punk over to the door quickly as she wrapped her hand around the knob and began to try to turn it, only to get no response out of it."Hey, Max. Did you like, lock your door or something?"

"You were the one who closed the door...why?"

"I can't get the thing to open."

Fear ran up her back as she walked over to the window and looked down at the grounds of the school to see people standing around, still off in segregated little groups, frozen in place.

"Fuck..." Max mumbled to herself in frustration.

"What is it, Max?"

"I guess...I guess you really are my partner in time now."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> Hey yo, welcome to chapter 5. That was...that was something wasn't it? I hope it wasn't too hard to read, but knowing just how horribly sad I got in episode 1, did you really think it would all be in the past? Nah, Life is Strange is just as much about the parts that make you want to weep as they are about the good times. Just like life itself. How strange eh?
> 
> Anyway, the idea of burning something something like that was a thought I had when I started the episode. Originally, the episode was going to end with the same scene, just burning the butterfly photo as a sign that Max was never going to sacrifice Chloe ever again. But that all changed when it was given as a gift of love in chapter 3. I didn't want to abandon the idea, because I found the concept beautiful, so I decided to bring it back as Chloe showing Max she would never again be without her. A thought I find just as beautiful.
> 
> Once again, I feel like I need to say this. Suicide is a very, very serious problem. I know season 1 covered it beautifully, but they nor I can delve into how complex and complicated that problem is. If you suffer from suicidal thoughts, please, I beg you, hold on. It is never the answer. I know how desolate sometimes life can get. That sometimes it just seems like the only solution, that sometimes it even feels like the only thing in the world that makes sense. But you are so much stronger than that. You can do it. Please, if you need to talk to someone about these thoughts, message me. I will be more than happy to talk to you. I am always here.
> 
> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Just one more left until episode 2 comes to a close. Once again, prepare yourself for it. Things are about to get even crazier and the sadness isn't gone yet. Thanks for sticking around. Be sure to tune in to the epic finale, next time! Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Channel!
> 
> Until then, stay golden.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Note:
> 
> Last one, I swear. But again, may include potentially upsetting content.

A severely uneasy feeling was washing over Max as she looked her girlfriend in the eyes. The huge blue sapphires that used to be a source of pure calming and happiness, were now something that made her feel sick. It wasn't her eyes fault, far from it even. It was just now, at this point, they should be just like everything else. They should be frozen in place, they should be huge, bright pools of serenity, frozen in space and time. Almost like a feeling of home to come back to after a long voyage at sea. Not scanning her face to try to make sense of what is happening to her at this moment. Not moving around in a world now completely stationary.

A slight heartbreaking feeling washed over her.

_'I fucked up everything. She has to bear this burden now, and it's all my fucking fault.'_

Her voice was shaky as she spoke. "Chloe I-I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to fuck this all up for you. I didn't mean to fuck you out of the way you were supposed to go through time...pl-please don't hate me."

A look of drastic confusion washed over Chloe; a deeper, more complex confusion than the one that had already existed. "Max...why would I hate you? Do you realize what is happening right now?"

"I know-"

"Max, I am a fucking time warrior too!" Her face seemed to explode into a huge, ridiculous grin. "Dude, we are so fucking together now! You'll never have to go through this time shit alone! I can really be with you forever now. This is so fucking awesome!"

All of the tension in her body suddenly dissipated the moment she saw her adorable smile.

_'Why did I ever think that Chloe would be anything but excited?'_

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Dude, I feel bad for you though."

"What? Why?"

"Because now you can never make out with me and rewind and get to do it again. Like I know you did back in my room in October."

Without thinking, Max's words exploded from her mouth "how do you know about that?" Something she instantly regretted saying.

"I didn't. But I do now."

"Shit. You caught me. Now I know I can't rewind and sneak peaks underneath your clothes anymore. Dammit."

Chloe's eyes widened as her jaw fell slightly open. "You never-

"You'll never know. Maybe I did, maybe I didn't." Max winked at her girlfriend as she walked over to her and held her hand in her left hand. Lifting up her right arm slowly, Max felt time slip around her again. It was a feeling that she never thought she could get used to, the sensation of everything flowing backwards around her was akin to being in a current. The tides washing over you as you stood in place, bending and displacing around your body. Lowering her hand, she felt time slip back forward. While never as gratifying as feeling time slip around your fingers, washing around you as you stand as an obstacle in the way of its passage; it was a feeling that was at least welcomed. Only when time was completely frozen was when Max felt as if things were wrong. That the incredibly stiff, frozen in place time was uncomfortable somehow. A feeling she couldn't recall as to how, only that it was not a feeling she enjoyed.

"Key get, door will now open." She smiled at her girlfriend. Not skipping a beat, Chloe opened the door and stepped out, letting Max follow behind.

The moment they stepped into the hallway was the moment Max saw that she was already close to where she needed to be. Everything around her was already settling into a complete monochrome state, as the doors around her slightly displaced and the replaced themselves.

"This shit is fucking crazy, Max." Chloe marveled as she looked around at the wonderfully chaotic splendor around her.

"This is some advanced level shit too Chloe. Like World 8-4. So I won't get too mad if you need me to take it slow."

Looking hurt, Chloe turned to her girlfriend and placed her free hand over her heart dramatically. "Did you just call me a noob? Watch, I'll school your ass like I did at Super Nintendo all the time."

"You're the one who said I used to beat you at Street Fighter." Max said plainly.

"And I beat you at everything else. So it's even."

"But you didn't-"

"Small deets Max. Now what the hell are we supposed to do? How do we make things go back forward?"

"That's the hardest, but also kind of easiest part."

"That sentence totally made perfect sense."

"I mean like" Max said as she began to walk over toward the end of her dorm, pulling Chloe along with her. "It's easy because you can see where it happens, but it's hard because you don't know how to fix it. This whole time moving around and losing color thing around us means that we're on the way to where we need to be. But I don't know where we have to go to exactly. I'll show you when we get to it; but that's the easy part. The hard part is what the hell happens when you get there. I still don't know if there was any negative shit with Jefferson the other day."

"Woah, Jefferson? You had to go back in time and see that asshole again?"

"Yeah. But it was actually kind of cool. You remember that scene in Fight Club where he quits his job?"

"Yeah man, cool shit. Cool ass movie too. You would so be Jack though. I could be your personal Tyler Durden. Or would I be like Marla or something?"

"You fit Tyler I would think. Bad ass hair, tattoos, don't give a fuck. Marla was too much of a skank. Now that you mention it though..." Max laughed as she felt fingers jab into her side playfully. "But yeah. I totally did that shit to him."

Chloe looked at Max with astonishment as she stopped in her tracks. "No fucking way. You beat the shit out of yourself?"

"Well...I didn't make myself bleed. Or do it that hard really. But I totally did do it. I got him so pissed off by talking about the Dark Room and that I knew about what he did and everything. He just got more and more pissed off until he 'hit me'. Then everyone ran in and saw a pissed off teacher and a crying girl. I am Jack's revenge!"

Smiling a super wide smile, Chloe sprung forward and hugged Max tightly, lifting her right off the ground. "I told you you were a fucking super hero! You're so fucking awesome!" Bouncing slightly in place, Chloe set down her girlfriend and looked at her with a certain hunger in her eyes. "Dude...honestly. I am so turned on by you right now."

"Down Chloe, we still have things to do." Max's smile was beaming through her face.

Stopping her foot and turning away from Max dramatically, Chloe spoke with an overbearing whine in her voice. "Dude, come on!" Spinning back around, Chloe clasped her hands together in a begging form. "Time is frozen. We have literally all the time in the world to do whatever we want. Or in your case, whoever we want."

"Don't make me make you take a cold shower. We have to save time. We are both time warriors now. We have to go rescue it like it's a princess." While sex was something Max was not ready for yet, she knew deep inside her that Chloe was not being serious. That she would never be so crass about that when the time came to actually go through with it. So it was almost cute to watch her whining and pouting. In fact, it was.

Throwing her head back and letting out a frustrated groan, the bluenette stomped closer to her girlfriend and sighed loudly. "Fine. Be a total buzzkill."

Cheeks beginning to hurt once again, Max flashed a smile at her girlfriend. "You're adorable when you pout."

"Correction, I'm always adorable."

Fingers wrapped around each other as the two girls made their way to the door at the end of the hall. Hand once again at shoulder length, Max let time slip backwards as Chloe pushed the door open.

"We are so cool. Pushing time around like it's our bitch!" Max smiled as she watched Chloe move without hesitation.

Looking down at her, Chloe smiled back and kissed the top of the brunettes head. "We totally predicted the future by drawing those comics eh?"

Light came in from the windows a floor down, illuminating the plain white walls of the stairwell's of the Prescott Dormitories. While Max noted that the stairs themselves weren't horrendous, she still wished that somehow the design could have been put together by someone with eyes for style, eyes for design, eyes at all even.

"Yeah, I guess we-" Max began, before she was cut off by someone bumping their body right into her shoulder, causing her to lose her balance momentarily. Looking up, preparing to scold someone for not watching where they were going, Max saw who it was barreling away from her on the stairwell.

"Kate? What are you doing?"

Freezing in place, as if she had been caught with her hand in the cookie jar, Kate spoke softly as he body stayed rigid and stiff. "Nowhere Max, please leave me alone."

Curiosity bubbled in the small girl's mind as she stared at her blond friend's back.

_'How is Kate not affected by the time freezing too? What the fuck is actually happening?'_

"Kate, does anything around here seem strange to you? Like...do things seem like they're frozen or something?"

For some reason, the air felt intense as Kate just stood there, her body as rigid and tense as a wooden plank. As if she had just gone through something horrendously stressful. "I don't know what you're talking about Max. Why are you even talking to me? No one cares about me...all they care about is those lies on the internet..." Her shoulders fell as Kate let out a large sob. Knuckles turning white from girpping the handrail, locking her elbow so she could support her weight against it to keep her knees from giving in.

Confusion set in her bones as Max walked slowly over to her blonde friend, reaching out her hand, placing it on her back to soothe whatever stress she may still be feeling.

Kate's body whipped around and for the first time in months, Max saw those eyes. The eyes that looked broken, destroyed, desolate. She looked at Max with a dead stare, something that Max had forgotten what it looked like, but something she instantly recognized. The look of extreme pain, of someone on the end of their rope; the look of suicide.

This wasn't happening. Not again. Kate couldn't die. She needed Kate.

Max was desperate. She had already lost her once, she wasn't even that good of a friend to Kate back then, but now Kate had grown into one of her closest, best friends. Her body was forcing her words out in a desperate attempt to grasp at whatever she could. "Kate no! You can't do this. Please. I need you. You're so important to me."

Kate only looked angry. Betrayed even. "If you care so much, then why didn't you stop David when he was bullying me? Why didn't you let me go to the police? I mean you answered my call, but I still needed you and you didn't care..."

Max's mind was reeling. "I wanted proof that he was harassing you. To show police after I got more evidence together. I just wanted to make sure there was no doubt." She didn't even have to try to remember her reasoning. They were situations that were burned in her brain. Every time she saw Kate; alive, talking, wonderful Kate in her timeline, the loss of hope look in the Kate's face that jumped never seemed to escape her. "I already tried going to see Principal Wells about Nathan when I saw him waving a gun around in the bathroom's" Max's hand tightened around Chloe's as she spoke, proving to herself that she was still with her; "and he didn't believe me. How could I let you go knowing that they wouldn't believe you either? I didn't want you to go through that!"

"Why wouldn't they believe two girls telling them things about the same person? I could have made a difference. But you wouldn't believe me. If you can't even believe me, my only friend in the whole world right now, then I have no reason to breathe anymore." Her eyes were tearing up harder than she could suppress at this moment as she brought her hand to her mouth and let out a sob. "Max...I'm in a nightmare and I can't wake up..." her feet started to walk backwards up the stairs "unless I put myself to sleep."

She was losing. Max was losing Kate again. She couldn't lose her again. Even if this wasn't her timeline, she couldn't live knowing that she let Kate down a second time. Last year Max deserves a friend like Kate. Kate deserves to live.

"Hey um, Kate?" The words came from right around Max's back, causing her head to spin around and see that bright, blue, beautiful mop of hair talking behind her. "I know it's been a long time since you saw me, and I know I wasn't super nice to you back then, but please, listen to me."

Chloe let go of Max's hand and walked a few steps up the stairs, holding the handrail gently as her eyes locked into Kate's. "I know you probably think I'm just some punk dickhead that was kinda weird around you. Nice one minute, a total asshole the next, but I like you Kate. I think you're one of the nicest people I've ever met. But there's a reason I was so weird around you last school year." Her feet planted one more foot another step toward Kate. "I was going through some horrible shit. Every day I was alive felt like torture. I was doing drugs to numb everything, going out and partying to forget my life and how empty everything felt. I hated myself and I wanted to die."

For some reason, Chloe wasn't crying this time as she spoke. Instead her words came out of her, soothing caring words that were mesmerizing. It captivated Max as she hung on every single word that she was speaking.

"I came close a couple of times." A sudden burst of heartbreak tore through Max's chest as she heard those words. Exactly the same feeling Chloe must have felt just minutes ago. It made her stomach churn as she heard the words, but didn't stop her from being completely engrossed. "I know how it feels to feel like you have nothing left. But...I know this isn't what you want to hear, but you're stronger than this. You can't stop how amazing everything will become for you because things are super shitty right now. It will get better. I promise. It will all someday be a memory that drives you forward as you kick everyone's ass and take all of their names. Someday, you'll be one of those artists that people talk about in magazines that they wish they could be like. Someday, this video won't even be a memory. It'll be something that no one thinks about because they'll be too busy looking at this super cute girl at a gallery in some huge town that they're paying big bucks just to get into. Dude, in three weeks no one will even care about this shit because you'll have showed everyone just how strong you can be."

Her feet took her one step closer, now a singular step separating the two girls. "Max hasn't stopped talking about you all day. How worried she is about you, how much you mean to her, how she wishes she could help you more than she already has. I know for a fact that Max isn't the only one around here that would be so destroyed if you died. This is all just shitty ass fucking high school. People are douche bags because they can be, but deep down, they all care so much about you."

Chloe took the final step up to Kate and looked her straight in the eyes as her voice softened. "There is always a light at the end of every tunnel, and right now, that tunnel is standing right behind me, begging you to come with us. Come on. Let's go right now. Max and I are going to the police, we have the shit we were waiting for. Proof. All we need is you. So please, please come with us."

All three of them stood there in complete silence. Kate's face had gone from one without hope, without joy, without a care, to a much calmer, happier look. She knew that everything Chloe had said was true. Smiling that same, sweet Kate Marsh smile, she wrapped her arms around Chloe's neck. "Thank you both so much. I'm so sorry. I was so blinded by everything that I chose not to see. Can you ever forgive me?"

"We already have." Max spoke with hope in her own, sad voice as she walked up to the two girls and wrapped her arms around them both.

Everything began to feel shaky around Max as her sight began to once again blur around her, causing the once clear world to fade away into a cloud of blackness, shrouding everything around her, except for Chloe. As the darkness caved in on the two of them, Max forced herself to say "now let's go tell them about what we found underneath the Prescott barn."

Nothing was around her. Nothing but an empty, black void that seemed to stretch on forever, complete and total lack of anything and everything around her; and Chloe. Everything else was gone now, shrouded in darkness, except the one person that she loved more than anything in the world. Out of all of the blackness that surrounded her, Chloe was her light. Chloe was Max's beacon in the darkness. Her own personal lighthouse to guide her home from her own inner storms. Her white in an entire world of black. Blue hair was only accented more by the darkness, flawless porcelain skin practically glowing, her smile brightening up everything. Chloe was the light at the end of Max's tunnel. The calm and safety of home, her contrast to everything horrible happening around her.

"I don't know how you keep doing this." Max stated as she felt long arms cross around her small frame as she placed a hand on Chloe's cheek.

"Do what?"

"Amaze me every day. Chloe, I..." Max looked up into the big, beautiful blue eyes that made her melt, and inside of them, she found the words that she had been looking for. "I love you. I love the way you make me feel. How hard I laugh when I'm with you. How confident you make me. I love your nose, your lips, your eyes. Every time I hear your voice, my heart soars. Every time I hug you, I can feel myself grow lighter. When we kiss, I melt inside like a ball of goop. I'm perfect with you, Chloe. You...you complete me. You're my confidence, my rock, my fun. Everything I am not, you are. You make me the happiest girl in the whole world. It's only been a few days of being yours officially, but with you feels right. I love waking up knowing that someone out there who is so gorgeous and cool loves me. That someone out there who could choose anyone she wanted, chose me. You impress me with every breath you take by just how much you know, that I have so much left to learn about the wonderful thing that is you. You're so much more than meets the eye. You...you're my soulmate."

Max had never seen Chloe cry from happiness before. Never seen a smile plastered on her face that melted her heart in the way this one was. Chloe had always had the most gorgeous smile Max had ever seen, but this was beyond words. This was the happiest Max has ever seen her. All because she finally found those beautiful words to tell Chloe how she felt.

She soon felt a hand press against her cheek as the tall blunette in front of her pressed her forehead to hers. "I love you so goddamn much it hurts." Chloe's face couldn't decide if she wanted to laugh or cry.

"Good. Because I was hoping I wasn't the only one."

There they stood for a moment, in this space between time, forehead's pressed against each other, staring into the others blue eyes. For the first time ever, Max felt truly happy. No doubts circling in her mind, no pain dwelling somewhere deep inside of her. Just how happy Chloe made her feel.

Lights began to come back into focus, colors soon bloomed as objects began to take form around them. Everything faded in around them in small strokes, as if reality were being painted around them. But Max didn't care as she stared into the pools of blue in front of her, the only things she wanted to look at at this moment. She was completely content with staring at them until time ceased, an eternity of studying her girlfriend's face. Until that face slowly turned from a face of pure bliss, into one of shock and concern.

"Holy shit Max! Your nose!"

Placing her hand down to her lip, Max felt a large, gushing stream of blood seeping from her nose. "Shit. I forgot this happens. I need to go to my room. I have tissues and things in there."

"Okay, just don't bleed out on me or anything. I know what you said was fucking the most wonderfully beautiful thing I think I'll ever hear, I want to see if you can prove me wrong in the future." Chloe looked at her girlfriend and smiled once more, hoping inside that someday Max would find words that made her feel this happy again.

Her face broke into a blush as Chloe picked up her girlfriend and carried her quickly to her dorm room. Max thought for a moment to refuse the treatment, but this angle was the perfect angle to see her girlfriend's face without having to move, so she instead just wrapped her arms around the bluenette's neck and stared happily. She would have kept her arms there, wrapped around Chloe until she was set down, but that was before she realized she needed to open the door for Chloe, as her arm's were kinda full. Chloe stepped into the room and shut the door behind her with the tip of her boot.

Minutes ticked away as the two girls finally seemed to get Max's nose under control. Since she had entered the room, Max had undressed, redressed, shoved copious amounts of tissues into her nose, and try her hardest not to blush as her girlfriend cleaned the dried blood off of her face. Now, all cleaned up with blood no longer flowing freely from her face, the two girls casually sat on Max's bed, staring at the couch on the other side of the room. Still honestly a little high from all the happiness they had experienced in the last 20 minutes.

"So, this is way more intense than it was back when we just played with time travel for fun and you got your nosebleeds. This really does a number on you." Chloe spoke with a slight bit of worry in her tone.

"I don't know. Back then I used to get these crazy headaches, I don't really anymore, but this happens when I go back in those weird moments like that."

"I wonder if I'll start getting them too..." Chloe wondered aloud as she sat back against the photo wall behind her.

"I really hope not. Believe it or not, they're not as fun as they look." Max smiled as she scooted herself back and sat next to Chloe.

"Did-did you really mean everything you said?" Her voice seemed venerable, yet slightly hurt.

Without hesitation, Max looked down and held Chloe's hand in hers. "Every word. You're my everything."

"I can't believe someone loves me that much. It's a little strange to get used to, but in a good way."

"Well you better believe it, because I do." Max smiled as she caressed her lovers hand. "How about you? Did you really mean everything you said to Kate?"

"Yeah, I did. Max, I was a much different person when you were gone. But you make me want to be better than that. I still feel some of that inside me, and I know it won't ever go away. But you help me not think about it. You help me feel like a kid again."

Before Max could open her mouth to tell Chloe how much she loved her, she heard her door fling open and slam against the wall next to it.

"Max!" Victoria cried out as she sprinted over to the brunette hipster, wrapping her arms around her neck and squeezing her tight. She could feel her cheeks were wet with tears as she trembled in her arms, sobs controlling her breathing.

"Victoria, whats wrong?"

She pulled her face way from the crook of Max's neck and bit her lip. Her mascara was running down her cheeks, lipstick made it's way across her face, her eyes were bloodshot.

"Nathan...he...he..." she could barely stop herself from sobbing as she spoke. "He jumped off the fucking roof. He's fucking dead!"

She could feel Chloe's gaze on her as she turned to meet her face. Both of their eyes had a look of worry set upon them as the words sunk into them.

This was not happening. Not today. After trying so hard to keep him alive, she was not going to let it end this way. Max raised her hand slowly. She knew that Chloe would probably scream at her again for allowing him to live, and even though she knew that Chloe had her reasons, Max didn't care. Forcing her arm up to her shoulder, she began to feel the tingling feeling work it's way through her arm. Only instead of a rewind, Max felt the same sudden thump in her head the day she did back with Kate. Her powers wouldn't work.

_'Shit! I think that time battling shit drained my powers...I...I can't go back in time...'_

Chloe instantly knew. She knew that Max had over exerted herself. That she would of course try to fix this too, it was just her nature. Part of her was glad that the fucker was dead, that he could never again hurt and murder anyone, but the rest of her only felt guilt. Guilt not from thinking he deserved it, because her entire being truly believed it, but guilt for being relieved, when she knew this would eat Max inside. She knew Max would want to save him, and even try everything she could to do so; but she could tell from the way her arm was raised, and from the pained look on her face that it wouldn't work. "Victoria" she called as she moved closer to the girl, away from the wall, trying to allow Max to have a moment to herself, not to overwhelm her with all of these emotions so quickly. "I...I'm so sorry."

"So am I!" Victoria wept as she sprinted out of the room, throwing herself in her bedroom and slamming the door behind her.

This couldn't be real. She failed to save someone again. Max had tried so hard to save everyone, only to find that she had to sacrifice another person. Sometimes, people have to die, but she had saved Chloe from it so many times that she was partially convinced the only kind of death she couldn't stop was death from natural causes. Her feet hit the floor, right on her discarded pants she had removed from earlier with her blood soaked traversing through time. A memory flooded Max's mind as she felt her phone underneath her foot, the memory of driving to the diner, of having a voicemail left from Nathan before he died, in a timeline that didn't exist.

_'Maybe...maybe he left me another...voicemail. Okay Max. You can do this.'_

Legs bent as she opened up her pants and reached inside her pocket, pulling out the small, rectangular device. The screen read in large letters:

**One Missed Call.**

**One New Voicemail.**

A cocktail of happiness from being correct and fear of what it said hit her heart hard. Swiping her thumb across the voicemail, Max hit the speaker button and glanced over at Chloe, still sitting on her bed, staring at her with pain in her eyes.

" **You have one unheard voicemail.**

**Max...I...I'm so sorry. I really didn't want this. I didn't want any of this. All I wanted was help, but no one would ever help me. I'm so sorry for shooting Chloe. Please tell her that for me...that I never really wanted to hurt anybody. But Max, I know something. I saw this-this vision. I saw a huge storm coming straight for Arcadia Bay. I saw everything get wiped off the map. For months, every day I saw it. I-it was like it was haunting me, warning me of what was coming. It kept happening until that day after...after the bathroom. They stopped that day, but then I started having others. Others that didn't exist, that couldn't exist. I saw Kate jump off that roof, I saw myself die, I saw you with Jefferson...I don't know what happened Max, but something tells me that you stopped the storm. That you did something and it stopped it from happening somehow. The only thing that was ever constant in my visions, was you. So I know you'll understand this. But Max, I don't know what you did to stop him, but you did. You stopped my dad somehow, from doing all the bullshit he's been trying to do for months. That he had been setting up and...I...I-I can't do this anymore. Everyone hates me, and all I really wanted was to stay in the ward, to get better. I'm so tired of feeling like I'm not in control. That this feeling is in control of everything I do, feeling like I'm watching someone else make all of my decisions for me. But my father had other plans. No one at all has ever cared about who I am...not my parents, not Dr. Bill, no one. So I have to go...I have to do this. I'm so sorry. After this, I know my dad won't stop again until the storm wipes out everything. He'll kill everyone because of me. But I can't take this feeling anymore...I can't deal with these visions...I can't take their stares, their words...I just...I can't..."**

The words felt haunting. Even as desolate as Max was when she stepped out on the roof, and as hopeless as Kate seemed that day she did the same thing, none of those thought's felt as bone chilling. None of them had that utter loss of everything in the words, the complete welcoming of death as Nathan did.

As Max walked over to her window and stared out toward the sky she had once marveled at not too long ago; she felt a crushing sadness overtake her. This was a sky that seemed to once hint at a hope, a beauty that was to come. One that emitted beauty across the whole school with it's contrasting colors and bright golden rays...now was only a reminder that after a sunset comes the night, and with it comes nothing but darkness.

Feeling a hand being placed on her shoulder as Chloe stared out at the sky with her, Max raised her arm and placed her hand on top of Chloe's. Her mind thought back to the words Jefferson had taught her so long ago, chiaroscuro. The balance between light and dark in any and all photography. How her life felt like one long, complicated series of shadows, with the only source of light being the girl standing next to her. Chloe being the reason to see out of the blackness, the thing giving her work a meaning, a purpose, a subject at all. That even with everything feeling like it was becoming blacker and blacker around her, as long as she had Chloe, she would truly have that perfect contrast. With Chloe, the darkness didn't seem so encompassing, yet rather highlighted the just how bright her personal lighthouse was. It was a thought she knew would not last long, yet she didn't care. Future Max could deal with all of that delayed sorrow.

"Things...just got a lot more complicated Chloe..."

"I guess...but we can handle it."

"We have to find out what happened. What's going to happen now. We have to save everyone."

"Well, then let's find out what's going on. Together."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author's Notes:
> 
> Hey yo, welcome to the end of Episode 2, This Action. Every single action Max faces in her life, will always have consequences. The only question Max truly must think of now, is which consequences are acceptable ones to have. I know that this Episode played around a lot with new concepts, toyed around with things that may or may not have made any sense, and have left more open ended questions than actual answers; but this is still only Episode 2. The story will be obviously different in structure and tone than Season 1, but I think that I have a story set up that could be a decent sequel to one of the greatest video games ever made. This whole story's purpose is to take the open threads from the end of Season 1 and tie them all together. Take the story away from it all being Max's fault and make it about Max's decisions as a whole. I know that there is still much to be explained, but I have a fully conceptualized idea of where this is going. I promise that everything will slowly be explained. I just hope you are all enjoying the ride.
> 
> But that was a pretty crazy ending wasn't it? Personally, I don't have a whole lot of sympathy for Nathan as a character. I understand his struggles, and I get the reasoning behind them, but I can't like the guy or feel sorry for him. That being said, I feel like he is one of the perfect villains. Written so that you understand him, but still hate him.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this Episode. It was a lot of fun for me to create. I love pushing myself to come up with concepts and situations that these characters get into. My personal favorite thing that I've ever written is in this episode. The suicide note bit, to me, is just so profoundly amazing. Not to toot my own horn, I just adore the concept. With the intro to Episode 1 at a really close second.
> 
> Anyway, I really hope that this was as fun for you to read as it was for me to write. I can't wait to show you all what else this story has to offer. I will see you all in the next Episode.
> 
> Until then, stay golden.


	7. Chapter 7

**April 10** **th**

**Today started out just like any other day. Well, if you consider any other day to begin by seeing the most beautiful girl in the world lying in your bed next to you. But other than that, today started out pretty normal. I woke up, checked social media and watered Lisa. I can't believe I have managed to keep her alive this long, but I guess if I kept an entire town alive, then keeping a plant from wilting would seem like a small achievement. Still though, go Max, you can keep plants from death!**

**After that I went in the bathroom and showered, like I said, the usual boring teenage stuff. But when I came back, Chloe was loudly rocking out in my room, probably the reason people were waking up in my hall. I almost got angry with her and told her to stop harassing my dorm mates, but that was until I saw her.**

**She was just, being Chloe; air guitar-ing to a punk song, totally rawking out. The way the sunlight was coming off around her body was just, oh my god. People say that Rachel used to be a model? Well in my opinion, Chloe has that girl beat. After snapping one of the best shots of my entire career, Chloe tried to show off for me and ended up hurting herself. She's such a major dork. But she's** **_my_ ** **dork.**

**Chloe then told me to put clothes on and go to class, which I was NOT having. Fuck that right? I deserve to have as many days with my new girlfriend as I want. Cuddling the day away and sharing kisses and hugs and cute nicknames...sorry. I know that was probably kind of sickeningly sweet to read Mr. Journal. I don't want to give you diabetes.**

**So, even though I protested like crazy, Chloe actually had a really good reason for wanting me to go. She told me that she wanted to change clothes and shower (which I am so glad she recommended because she was staring to smell) but that she was also not sure what happened to her in this timeline. Which I hadn't really thought about. Chloe was supposed to be dead, and now all of a sudden she isn't? Does everyone else here thinks she's still dead? I would love to see their faces if they did think that. I mean, they would probably think she's a zombie or something though and try to kill her...so never mind. I take that back. Alive Chloe is the best Chloe.**

**I told Chloe there was no way that I was going to let her just go out and have to do all that shit by herself though. We are PARTNERS in crime and time. So we have to do things together. Forever.**

**We started going down the hall to get to Chloe's truck in the parking lot when we both heard a crying sound coming from the showers. Like, shit. I was getting flashbacks just standing there. I really, really did not want to go in there. Like really did not want to go. Something inside of me was telling me that in there was another maniac with a gun and I do not want to go through that ever again. But Chloe grabbed me by the hand, and before I knew it, I was being dragged straight into the belly of the beast.**

**When we got inside, the person seemed to be crying in the far away stall, so that's where Chloe dragged me to once again. Chloe opened the curtain at the end to find Alyssa sitting in there and crying her eyes out. She looked so exhausted and hurt. I never knew that she had problems, now I feel bad for never really taking the time to get to know her.**

**After asking for a little bit what the problem was, I found out. I didn't find out by her telling me, but she dropped...her razor in the shower. I still can't believe this. Alyssa is a cutter, and I have done nothing to try and help her. She told us that she felt so shitty in her life, that all of the things that I helped her with in the previous timeline never happened because I wasn't a time traveler there to help her...I felt like such a failure. I had no words to say to her, but thankfully, Chloe did.**

**Oh my gosh. She is so...fucking amazing. She sat there and told her how things would get better, how wrong she was about no one caring about her. I couldn't believe how amazing she was being. Chloe Price, the girl that last year hated everyone and put herself first, was actually counseling someone else and helping. I** **was** **am** **, so very proud. She even told Alyssa that I was her savior. Me. I saved her. I was her reasoning for being alive. I can't write this. I'm gonna cry again.**

**Alyssa told us she needed to clean up and told us bye, so we both left the showers. I just felt this, overwhelming feeling running through my body of just how in love with that blue haired punk I am. I held hands with my beautiful girlfriend all the way down stairs, just as happy as I could possibly be. Until I heard a sound I will never be able to forget, a gunshot.**

**Even though my blood felt like it had been kept in a freezer all day, Chloe and I ran towards the sound to investigate. In hindsight, bad idea. We could have seriously been hurt. But when I saw David holding a smoking gun over Nathan's dead body, my blood wasn't the only thing that was frozen.**

**It was kind of like in Saving Private Ryan where Tom Hanks couldn't hear and just stood there for a second. Then when sound came back to me, all I could hear was Chloe screaming my name. She was crying and screaming at me, begging me to rewind to save David. I don't know what came over her. She looked so full of regret and broken all over again. It killed me to see her like that. But...I had never used my powers.**

**I was so scared. I knew that if I used my powers again, everyone would die. The whole town would once again be wiped out by a huge bullshit storm...but David didn't deserve to go to jail for this...so...I did it. I rewound time to just before David shot Nathan. David was yelling at Nathan like a crazy person. He just kept yelling about almost killing Chloe and not letting him get away with it. It was so scary to watch. I yelled at David before he took his gun out, and the second he looked up at me, Nathan bolted toward the dorms.**

**After that, David sprinted off away from us, he didn't even say anything. I guess after years of combat, David was really a talented runner. So we never could find him after we got to the front grounds of the school. Chloe decided that we still needed to go through with our plan, and that we could find him later. So, I agreed and we both got inside her truck and went to the Price house.**

**Driving back to Chloe's was so painful. I didn't want to talk about what happened. I knew that I had just killed an entire town again. I was replaying all of the voices in my head from that nightmare I had when Chloe was dragging me up to the lighthouse. When we pulled into the driveway, Chloe finally broke the silence.**

**I just couldn't take it. The fact that I had gone so long without dooming everyone. Now her sacrifice was for nothing all over again. Now I would probably lose the only thing I care about again. I can't. I will never pick anyone over Chloe, ever again. She then showed once again just how amazing she is by making me feel better about it. Telling me that she won't make me choose between her and a town ever again, then she showed her sappy side once more and made me blush by calling me cute. Ah, she is so wonderful.**

**Once inside, Chloe told me to do what I do best, snoop. But only after she asked me to shower with her. My god. Part of me really really wanted to, but I don't think I'm ready for something like that. I do know that I would love for Chloe to be my first...and my last. But I don't want that right now. Besides, we both needed to focus on finding out what happened to Chloe and why David shot Nathan.**

**The first place I thought to go was the garage. It was the place I happened to get all of my information last time, so I thought, why not try again right? Once I went inside though, everything felt so weird. It was like David hadn't come in here once since last October. The car was even still being worked on. It felt a little like an episode of Twilight Zone, like I had stepped back in time or something. Well, I don't guess now that stepping back in time would be an episode of Twilight Zone now, it would be more like My So Called Life.**

**I dreaded looking around and trying to find that password again, I know it was one of the pass codes in the room, but there was like, 20 different things in there. It would have taken forever to find, but I thought why not just give it a try first and see if I can do a muscle memory or something? To my awesome surprise, it wasn't locked! Too bad I didn't get to show off my Crash Override skills though. Another time, Max.**

**Instead, it came up with an email David was reading that morning about being suspended until Nathan Prescott graduated. I can't believe those Prescott's! They actually paid their way back into a school and got the head of security suspended so he wouldn't hurt Nathan. They turned out to be right, but that's still such a low blow.**

**I made my way upstairs and went inside Chloe's room for the first time since I had cleaned it out. Which brings up the question, how did I still have that shoe box in my room if I never cleaned out her room in this timeline? Maybe this Chloe gave it to me as a gift for memory sake. Who knows? That's when I found something I will never ever forget...**

**I found the butterfly photo. The one from the bathroom. Yeah, that one. It was in a frame with this note on it. One that this Max had written to Chloe, telling her that she loved her. Wowsers. Chloe came in not too long after and I showed her, it was right then that we both just knew, in every timeline, we end up together. If that isn't destiny, I don't know what is.**

**Chloe was still in a towel and wanted to get dressed, so I let her and went into David and Joyce's room. There I found a journal of David's just chilling on the nightstand next to the bed. Of course, me being me, I had to snoop...**

**That's where I found out what happened. Chloe was shot in the bathroom, she just didn't die. She got grazed and let out of the hospital soon after. Poor this timeline Chloe...but at least she got to live. I'm glad that this Max got to have her Chloe. Flipping it all over to a more recent date, I saw that David was going through some really bad PTSD. Poor David, he felt like he had to protect Chloe, but he failed. I can see why he went to the extremes he did.**

**Showing Chloe wasn't fun either. She freaked out way harder than I thought she would, which was kind of a good thing. To see Chloe care about David was a nice change from 'step-douche', even if he did kind of deserve it back then. But she was panicking and getting really angry, like when she found out Rachel had been seeing Frank, so I did what any good girlfriend would do, and I held Chloe until she felt better. I am the best girlfriend, obviously.**

**We both then decided that seeing Joyce would probably be the best thing. We could find out information about the two of us, as well as possibly why David was going so crazy. I told Chloe about visiting her grave on the way over, and she actually put the fact that I totally saw the butterfly both times that time started fucking all around me. I can't believe I never put that together.**

**Then...Chloe told me that I was her soulmate. Soulmate. I can't even begin to say how hard my heart was thumping in my chest. I...I love her so much. I didn't have the words then to tell her just how amazing she makes me feel, but I swear to dog that I will. I will tell Chloe just how important she is to me. She's my everything, journal. Let's start there (also, I know Chloe likes to sneak read these while I'm asleep. So in case you're reading this now and I didn't tell you, now you know. I am in deep love with you. Now stay out of my stuff, Price.)**

**Of course with our luck, as soon as we got to Two Whales, Chloe ran out of gas. Also, with our luck, the gas station was right across the street. True form of duality. So with a lot more effort than it looks like, we finally got the thing across the street. Chloe told me to go and talk to Joyce while she fueled up, which I was not comfortable with, but then I got one of those amazing Chloe kisses, and all was right with the world again. Mental note, Chloe is great at giving and getting kisses out of pity. Act more pitiful around your girlfriend.**

**Just as I was making my way inside (cue piano line) I heard someone call for me. Well, not me by name, but it was young senior. What the homeless lady called me back in the other timeline. She then told me about...about the other timeline. She mentioned the storm and Chloe and...something about two stones being thrown in a pond...oh my gosh. I still have no idea what she was talking about.**

**Right there on the pavement, I had another panic attack. I hope they don't become regular customers in the cafe of Max's mind. But Chloe scooped me up and did what she does best, make me feel better. I felt like I was on the floor of the diner forever, but once I calmed down, I was so grateful to have her there. She really is my savior. (Like all the compliment's you're getting Chloe?)**

**After I calmed down, I told Chloe about the homeless lady sending me into my horrible panic, and then...she told me...something so unexpected. I almost couldn't believe her. She said that there was no one there. How? There was clearly that old homeless lady there. Did I just imagine her every time? Has anyone ever actually seen her? Is she REALLY Arcadia Bay? So many questions left unanswered...**

**Of course, since we were at the Two Whales, Chloe and I ate together. I didn't think about it at the time, but I think that was our first date. Technically. We were dating, and we ate together. Is that a date? I've never been on a date, but I would guess that's what people do on dates. I mean, we held hands, we kissed some, I paid for her meal...yep I totally took Chloe out.**

**Joyce seemed so happy to see us, which, I'm honestly glad that she was. Because to be honest, I was really happy to see her. It feels wrong going so long without seeing your second mom you know? Well, now I suppose she really is one of my mom's. Weird to think about. Speaking of, Chloe told Joyce that we had a 'big announcement' and held my hand. She then looked at her right in the eyes and told her that we were dating. But, it wasn't just that, she told her, and I'm quoting here: "Mom, I finally have the one thing I always wanted. Max is my girlfriend mom, and I couldn't be happier." I. Turned. Into. Pure. Sap. I almost cried when she smiled at me. God, she really is perfect. Joyce broke the moment with something I kind of expected to hear though, telling us that we had already told her a few months ago that we were a couple, asking Chloe if she had hit her head. Never change Joyce.**

**We then asked about the thing we came to ask about, David. Joyce told us that he had gone to Blackwell today, and that she hadn't seen him since. That she didn't think he would be anywhere else than work. So she had no idea that David had been suspended. Wowsers. We finished eating, I paid for the food, then we made our way back to Blackwell to see if he might still be there somewhere.**

**Once we got back, there was a huge gathering in front of the dorms, and my mind went directly to Kate. Thankfully, no one was on the roof of the building. But, there was a fight between Warren and Nathan going on. To my surprise, Warren was the one who started it. He actually fought Nathan Prescott and ended up kicking his teeth in. I couldn't let someone get destroyed like that, so I had to rewind and stop him. I'm glad it didn't take long, because I'm still not sure rewinding isn't the problem. Maybe if I only use it sparingly, it will all work itself out? I mean, no freak weather as of so far. I call that a good sign.**

**Next thing I know, Chloe is dragging me to my room by my wrist. Which brought up all kinds of repressed memories. She then broke down and told me that she wasn't like me, and never had the time to get over Rachel, to get over being killed, nearly drugged to death and put in the dark room, everything that happened to her. I never thought about it. Poor Chloe. She is still so angry and hurt, I guess she's just trying to move forward now. She told me that she can't go through time anymore after. She says she saw David shoot Nathan and heard Nathan's teeth getting kicked in and told me to tell her something no one knew about me, then rewind to test and see if she was right.**

**It hurt. It hurt so bad to tell her. So fucking bad to tell. About the one month anniversary of Chloe's death, I tried to kill myself. I don't even want to write about it. I want to forget it happened. So I'm not going to talk about it. Instead, I'm going to say what Chloe did for me when I told her about it was beyond perfect. She wanted me to get the note, but being that we were in a timeline that didn't have a no Chloe in it, it didn't exist. Don't ask why I kept it. So I instead folded up a piece of paper, and Chloe and I burned it as a symbol of us being together forever. We held hands as we watched it burn into nothing. I...there are no words for how amazing this was...how much it meant to me. How much she means to me.**

**We both decided that we should go out and see where David was, but lo and behold, time was frozen completely. There Chloe was, completely moving in a frozen time. Shit. Of course though, she took it well. Now we really are partners in time.**

**As soon as I opened the door to the stairwell, Kate bumped into me. At first I thought maybe Kate could come through time with me too, somehow. But then, I realized that this was a different timeline, and Kate was going to the roof.**

**Kate wouldn't listen to me. I mean, I didn't say the same things I had back when I helped her down, but it was all similar, and for some reason...it didn't work. She was going to the roof, and I let her get there. I couldn't save her. Until, once again, Chloe came out of nowhere and saved the day. She was just as amazing with Kate as she was with Alyssa, as she was with me. She told Kate that she would be famous and would never remember this day, she called Kate cute, she told her about her own life and that Chloe though she was cool. I don't know what it is, but Chloe seems to have the same pull to her that Kate does, only in a different way. She seems to have this natural want to talk to her, to listen to her. She saved Kate's life, and right before we both left the timeline, I told Kate to tell the police about under the Prescott's barn.**

**Everything around us was gone, and we were in this black abyss place. The only thing around me that I could see was Chloe, and staring at her, I felt that tingling feeling come back as I found the words to tell her just how much she means to me. It wasn't as perfect as she was, but it was as good as I could do. I made her cry tears of joy when I told her. It was then I realized, Chloe is my soulmate. I will never leave her again.** ** Ever. **

**Blood was all over my shirt, like I was in a cheap zombie movie from the 90's, so Chloe carried me to my room and cleaned me up. She didn't even make one sex joke, I'm proud of the girl.**

**Then Victoria came crashing in and told us...told us that Nathan was dead. He killed himself by jumping off the roof. I...I can't believe he did that. I tried to rewind but...I couldn't. Helping Kate over did it for my powers. Nathan Prescott is dead.**

**Victoria stormed back out of the room when I suddenly remembered Nathan's voicemail from the last timeline. I played it and put it on speaker so Chloe and I could hear. He sounded so broken, so defeated, so helpless. It actually hurt to listen to, more than the last voicemail he gave me. But that wasn't even the worst part. The worst part is what it said...**

**He told me that he saw visions of the tornado too, and that he knew that I stopped it somehow. That...That Sean Prescott was responsible for the storm. That the Prescott's caused it. That only I could save everyone. It was never my powers. It was always the Prescotts. I feel so shitty for feeling relieved about it, but also...it means Chloe never had to die. It only means that something happened when Nathan went to jail that stopped them from going through with it. What though?**

**All I could think about was chiaroscuro that Mr. Jefferson had told us about. That with everything light, there must be a shadow, and vice versa. Chloe is my light in all this crazy shadow bullshit. As long as we're together, we will fix this.**

**Safe to say, I couldn't stay at Blackwell that night. I had to leave. Too many memories of jumping off the roof to stay there. So Chloe let me stay at her house, we packed up all my shit I would need and headed over to her place.**

**Joyce wasn't too happy about us staying in the same room, but she let us. Telling us that what she doesn't know, won't hurt her. Now both of the Prices are trying to get me in bed with Chloe, wowsers.**

**It was just like old times though. I think this is the first "official" sleep over I have had at Chloe's since William was alive. We decided against "Netflix and Chill" (or I decided against it) and instead made a pillow fort and claimed the house in the name of Arr-cadia Bay's pirates. It was like living in a memory all over again. Except this time, I didn't have to worry about fixing things. I just got to have fun and be with Chloe, act like a kid again, and even get some 'booty'. Not that kind! I can't believe I wrote that. Oh my dog. I meant kisses. We kissed. Wowsers.**

**After dismantling the fort, I decided to pick a movie I knew Chloe would love, Legion of Fire: Killer Ants! Just as I suspected, Chloe was so in love with the cheesy acting and the horrible effects of the ants spewing fire everywhere. It was even better than I could have ever pictured it. I remember finishing the movie and cuddling against my girlfriend, and that's about it. I fell asleep not long after. Another batshit crazy day, with a perfect ending. Hopefully you'll get a normal day sometime.**

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Authors Notes:
> 
> Hey yo, so, journal entry! I enjoy writing these little things, so I'm going to continue to do so! I know there wasn't as much new stuff in this one, but I thought there was a few things I could clarify in here. It really isn't the same when you see most of Max's thoughts in the chapters anyway, but, like I said already, gonna keep it all going on anyway!
> 
> I'll say that episode 3 will feel a lot like The Dark Room with all of the events that go on, and less like Chaos Theory. I feel like This Action felt a lot like Chaos Theory in terms of theme and writing personally, with Little Pieces of Time being very Out of Time. So stay tuned! Same Bat-Time! Same Bat-Channel!
> 
> Until then, stay golden.

**Author's Note:**

> Author Notes:
> 
> Hey yo, welcome to episode 2 everyone. I hope you all enjoyed chapter 1 and me not being quite so harshly sad anymore. While happy Max is nowhere near as poetically fun to write, it feels so much better to do. To actually be able to give her the things she so desperately wants. I based the top part of this story on my own life. Back when I went through the worst depression of my life, everything felt cumbersome, especially showers. I couldn't stand it. Having to go through the motions and taking all of this time to dry off was just a hassle. I remember forcing myself to do it, and it always ruined a good portion of my day. They say write what you know, so I decided to put that into the story. Anyway, don't get used to the drama being gone, it's just waiting for you around the corner. This episode won't probably be as intense as the last, but it will have it's moments, I promise. So be sure to leave a review, and thanks for reading! See you next time! Same Bat-Time, same Bat-Channel!
> 
> Until next time, stay golden.


End file.
